


Aftermath

by orphan_account



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Angst with a Happy Ending, Apocalypse Fix-it, Bisexual Clarke Griffin, Bisexual Octavia Blake, Canon Lesbian Relationship, Clexa, Endgame Clarke Griffin/Lexa, F/F, Female-Centric, Lexa Lives, Madi Griffin is Lexa and Clarke’s adopted daughter, Mild Sexual Content, No Lesbians Die, Non-Graphic Smut, Past Character Death, Post-Episode: s04e13 Praimfaya, Romantic Soulmates, Suicidal Thoughts
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-12
Updated: 2019-01-20
Packaged: 2019-08-22 21:01:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 25,704
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16605371
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: What if Titus had never accidentally shot Lexa? What if Clarke and Lexa had gone on to become the power couple they should have been, defeating ALIE and preparing the 13 Clans for Praimfaya together? This fic is a retelling of episode 5.01 Eden if Lexa had been on Earth with Clarke during the second apocalypse. Feedback is highly appreciated!





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Because two full seasons later I’m still not over Lexa and the idea of Madi being Clarke and Lexa’s adopted daughter makes me so happy.

Lexa and Clarke climb that terrible tower together and try not to watch Praimfaya barreling towards them. Clarke knows they’re not  gonna make it. Not a chance in hell. But they do their part to help Raven and her shuttle get to the ring. Clarke thinks she can die easy with Lexa in her arms, comforting herself  with the thought of the rest of her friends safe in the stars

  
  
  
  


But Praimfaya doesn’t hit when they’re on top of the satellite tower feeling the hot wind on their faces even through their suits. If doesn’t hit as they climb down. When Lexa loses her grip and falls the rest of the ten feet to the ground Clarke screams. But the commander pulls herself off the ground completely intact silhouetted by the wall of fire that’s almost upon them. 

  
  
  


“Clarke! Jump!” She shouts and Clarke throws herself off the lattice unquestioningly landing with a soft whump in Lexa’s arms. They are on solid ground and they are still alive but they can no longer keep their eyes off of  Praimfaya. There is no horizon. Nuclear fire has blocked out the sky that Clarke loved so much. 

  
  
  


She grabs Lexa’s arm, clasps their sweaty palms together and pulls her across the field towards ALIE’s bunker. They sprint for what seems like an eternity and Clarke can feel the heat on the back of her clothes. She can feel the skin on her face blistering and it’s absolute agony. They make it inside and seal the doors right as the wave hits. The bunker stars to shake and Clarke pitches face first into a table.

  
  
  


“Clarke!” She can hear Lexa shriek as she fades out of consciousness. Her girlfriends panicked  cries are the last thing Clarke hears before everything goes black.

  
  
  


Clarke opens her eyes to a relieved Lexa. She’s laying in the bed Becca Pramheda  must have slept in when she wasn’t working herself half to death on ALIE. The room is dark lit only by a few candles and a flashlight that’s laying in the corner. 

  
  
  


“The bunker lost power right when Praimfaya hit.” Lexa explains “I guess these generators weren’t strong enough to survive two apocalypses after all.” She jokes feebly.

  
  
  


“We’re alive.” Clarke says unbelievingly 

  
  
  


“Yes” Lexa responds tiredly. “We just have to find out what to do to keep us that way.” 

  
  
  


Clarke stays in bed for the next day and a half. Lexa sits by her side and they talk, mostly about what things must be like in the bunker or what Bellamy and the others might have found on the ring. Every few hours Clarke pauses to cough up thick globs of black blood. Thankfully by the start of their second day the coughing has stopped.

  
  
  


Lexa didn’t have the same reaction to the radiation as Clarke had. The blisters on her face were noticeably less severe and she never had a cough. They theorized that it had to do with Clarke’s synthetic nightblood as opposed to Lexa’s natural but it was possible that radiation sickness just affected individual nightbloods differently. 

  
  
  


When Clarke feels strong enough to stand they go to work tearing ALIE’s facility apart looking for rations. Eventually they find protein bars and dried fruit along with ancient bottles of water. If they cut down to two meals a day Lexa thinks they may be able to make it a month and a half without leaving the makeshift bunker. 

  
  


Clarke and Lexa keep themselves as busy as they can. Clarke finds a stack of playing cards near where they found the food and she teaches Lexa war and bullshit and Lexa shows her a few gambling games the children in her conclave used to play using tree nuts as bargaining chips.

  
  
  


They takes sponge baths with a water bottle each once a week. Lexa doesn’t mind but Clarke feels gritty everywhere she goes. As the end of their supplies draw nearer Clarke worries about what they’ll find outside more and more. For all either of them know opening the sealed door could lead to the death they had expected at the dawn of Praimfaya. How horrible would it be for the others to find what was left of them when they docked.

  
  
  


Clarke thinks Murphy would find it ironic once he’d taken a look inside and saw the evidence of their occupancy, protein bar wrappers, water bottles and a rumpled unmade bed upstairs coupled with their skeletons right outside the airtight doors. 

  
  
  


At first they plan to leave on day 45 but decide to go on 42 instead so there’s still three days worth of rations if they don’t find food right away. The morning before they leave Clarke cries quietly into her pillow when she thinks Lexa’s still asleep. But the grounder woman is awake and when she hears the muffled sobs she pulls Clarke to her chest and strokes her hair.

  
  
  


“We’re going to make it to Polis Clarke.” She asserts in her lilting accent. “I swear to you we will make it to that bunker.” She holds Clarke until her sobs still. 

  
  
  


They’re holding each other tightly again when Clarke punches in the codes to open up the door. They aren’t met with a wall of fire or instant nuclear death just a oversized pile of rocks half blocking the exit that are all that remains of the facilities hillside entrance.

  
  
  


Lexa pushes ahead and forces her way between the rocks until she is breaking free into the open air. Everything around the two women is beige. The satellite tower is gone and Clarke isn’t surprised. She doesn’t think the rickety 100 year old structure would have survived an ordinary thunderstorm let alone a wave of radioactive fire.

  
  
  


The ocean is gone. So is the dense forest that led to it. Everything on the outside is coated with a fine layer of grit including Lexa and Clarke in the few seconds they’ve been outside. It’s completely desolate. Clarke pulls out the map they’ve taken from inside ALIE’s lab.

  
  
  


“210 miles to Polis…” she says grimly.  “At least there’s no ocean to cross.”

  
  
  


On the first day they walk until they can’t walk anymore. They stop to sleep beside a sand bluff using their rucksacks as pillows. Nights near ALIE’s island should be cold this time of year but the temperature stays just as sweat inducing throughout the night. Clarke barely sleeps a wink. 

  
  
  


Her luck changes on the second day when something Lexa steps on beneath the sand clangs like it’s metal. They drop to their knees immediately and dig until their hands are raw. It’s a Land Rover possibly sunk since the first apocalypse and Clarke is so overjoyed she laughs, for the first time since they left ALIE’s island.

  
  
  


They pop the hood and dust out as much as the sand as they can before Lexa even tries to hotwire the rover. By some miracle the engine rumbles to life and they jump in. Clarke drives, Lexa’s hand rests on top of Clarke’s in the center console. They park in Polis through a gap in the half intact foundation of a building. The skyline feels so empty without Lexa’s gorgeous skyscraper that Clarke doubts whether they’re even in the right place, until she sees the rubble of the temple and her heart sinks. She isn’t willing to give up even as Lexa pleads.

  
  
  


“The rubble is much too heavy and spread out. We could work for years and never find the bunkers entrance.” She reasons but Clarke shrugs her off and disappears into a hole between two pillars.

  
  
  
  


Lexa sits on the hood of the rover and tries to pray to the commanders that came before her. She’s almost deep enough in her meditative state to hear their voices before she notices  a rumbling. Clarke crawls out from inside the rubble and there’s a crash and a cloud of debris as she tumbles down the rocky side.

  
  
  


“Clarke!” Lexa yells and runs to pick her girlfriend off the ground. The commander lifts Clarke up and dusts off her clothing. She’s uninjured except for a small moon shaped cut on her cheek. She lets Lexa lead her back to the rover and Lexa keeps an eye on her as she silently eats the second to last energy bar and drinks half a bottle of water. 

  
  
  


“I thought we would live in the bunker. With your people. With my mom. But you were right when you said there’s no way to clear that rubble and now I’ve gone and made it worse.” She says completely deflated staring out the window of the rover. Lexa can see the shifting of the rocks once the dust has cleared. The hole Clarke burrowed into has collapsed completely. Lexa steps out of the rover, slamming the door behind her and circles the perimeter while Clarke watches from the cab but there’s no other entrance.

  
  
  


They are alone. But at least they are together. Lexa eats the last protein bar and they watch the sun set in Polis. They spend the night curled around each other in the back of the rover. The next morning Clarke wakes up early.. The sun has barely risen although it’s already hotter than Clarke thought possible. She lets Lexa sleep in the back and drives them to the burnt shell of Arkadia.

  
  
  


She gently wakes Lexa up and explains where they are. They leave the rover near the remains of the front gate and duck inside the Arcs main hallway. Clarke hoped that they would be able to find food inside the wreckage but after hours of searching everything they have found is rotten from exposure or halfway ash already. Lexa points out that they don’t know how food that was above ground during Praimfaya would affect them anyways which makes Clarke feel like throwing up.

  
  
  


They decide to start searching personal cabins as a last resort. Clarke wants to have respect for the Arcs former residents but her desperation for something to feed herself and Lexa is too strong.

  
  
  


She isn’t even aware that she’s in Jaspers room until she finds the name tag in a lockbox that she smashes open with a piece of metal piping. Maya’s name tag..She digs deeper into the box and finds a note to Monty in Jaspers curly script. Clarke sobs over the dusty pair of goggles in the bottom of the box. A bitter reminder of old times. 

  
  
  


Clarke remembers Jasper as the stupid tripped out teenager thrown in jail on the arc for smoking weed. She wishes she didn’t also remember the sallow pessimistic man who looked for death at every opportunity Jasper had become by the end. She wipes the tears off her face before going out front to find Lexa but her fingers are so dirty she leaves dirt streaks in there place.

  
  
  


Lexa is sitting by their rover just as empty handed as Clarke is. Her face and arms are streaked with soot residue.

  
  


“I tried to crawl beneath some of the wreckage” She says when she notices Clarke’s confusion. They sit in the cab and try again to radio Bellamy but the silence on his end is just as heavy as it has been since Praimfaya. Both know not he’s probably not getting the messages but it feels almost therapeutic to think about someone listening even if they never get a reply.

  
  


Neither has  had water for two days when the rain begins to fall. Lexa had driven them to the remains of the forest and parked the rover under some shade the night before. Clarke is sleeping on Lexa’s lap when it happens and jolts awake bleary eyed when she hears the rumbling. They dance in the rain filling both their canteens twice. Clarke grabs Lexa and kisses her, fingers entwined in her hair and they make out in the middle of a rain storm water soaking their clothes. 

  
  
  


As the rain slows they strip to their underwear and squeeze the moisture from their wet outfits into the empty plastic water bottles they’d used as rations after they left ALIE’s facility. 

  
  
  


“Clarke come here and look at this!” Lexa whoops excitedly holding up a supersized squished bug that must have landed on their windshield during the storm. She tears the bug in half and chews on her section handing the other half to Clarke. 

  
  
  


“Oh my god that’s not actually that bad. Clarke sighs appreciatively after she’s finished. How did you know these were safe to eat?” She asks curiously 

  
  
  


“Titus taught me about food sources in the wilderness so I could keep myself fed during the conclave” Lexa shrugs. 

  
  
  


Clarke flinches at the mention of Titus. She remembers the first time she slept with Lexa in Polis and the flame keepers strong conviction she would end up just like Costia and bring Lexa down with her. She remembers Lexa walking in just as Titus was about to shoot her. She remembers Titus’ arm shaking and the bullet hitting the wall behind Lexa instead. Clarke remembers Titus having a breakdown on the floor knowing that he could have shot the commander he was sworn to protect and willing to kill for. 

  
  
  


After the assassination attempt they’d fled to the sanctuary of Lexa’s bedroom bundled up in her bedsheets and held each tightly other awash in the horror of how close they had come to losing what they had only just found. Lexa had offered to publicly execute Titus but Clarke turned her down emphatically. They so much to deal with including ALIE’s city and eventually Praimfaya that the well meaning murder plot of Lexa’s former mentor was pretty far down on her list. She supposed he had died anyways along with the rest of Lexa’s people that weren’t among the 1200 chosen for Octavia’s bunker. She doesn’t feel sorry for _him_. 

  
  
  


They mill around the exterior of the rover collecting the crushed bugs and eating them as they go. The grill is especially rich with he bodies of the bugs and several other smaller insects. Clarke collects a handful and sits down to eat. She laughs at the absurdity of the last two women on earth running around eating bugs off of a Land Rover in their underwear.

  
  
  


Then there’s a distant rumble and Clarke excitedly wonders if there’s going to be more rain. Until she turns around and sees the monstrosity that is the sandstorm barreling towards them. It reminds her of the storm that killed Atom when she first arrived on earth but on a much larger scale. In short she’s absolutely terrified. She snatches her clothes and throws herself into the passenger side of the rover. Lexa is already sitting in the driver's seat.

  
  
  


“Lexa drive!” She shouts and Lexa floors the gas. It’s not nearly enough. They are caught in the middle of the storm 30 seconds after they started driving. The winds rattle the side of the rover and that’s when she remembers. 

  
  
  


“Oh my god the solar panels!” She shouts panicked. “Lexa the rover can’t run without the panels we have to go out there and hold them down!” Clarke pants. She lunges for the door handle but Lexa wraps her arms around her waist and pull her back.

  
  
  


“Don’t be crazy Clarke! If you go out there you might not be able to hold on to the panels and even if you could there’s no guarantee that storm wouldn’t blow you away. Put those on and don’t move.” She finishes sternly gesturing to the pile of clothes in Clarke’s arms and getting to work on sealing the windows. 

  
  
  


Clarke is able to think rationally after she’s dressed. Lexa’s absolutely right. There’s no telling what Clarke might have done had she been here on her own. She’s not alone but the thought doesn’t do much to brighten her mood once the storm is gone and they emerge from the rover. The solar panels have been completely mangled. One is missing completely and the rover needs a full set to run which complicates things even if they could find a way to fix the remaining panels. They walk for a mile in seperate directions hoping to find the lost panel but it’s no use. The panel is gone. 

 

 

  
Lexa tries a last ditch attempt to start the engine and it sputters to life before quickly dying again. 

 

 

Then they sit on the dusty forest floor and consult their map. Jaha and Murphy had found rows of solar panels on their first pilgrimage to the city of light. Back when they believed the city of light was physical that is. The only problem is that the trek is in the opposite direction back towards ALIE’s island. Over 150 miles of walking lay between them and the only method of power for their vehicle. And that’s assuming that at least one of the panels was more intact then the disasters swinging off the sides of the rover.

  
  
  


“We could die of dehydration before we even make it halfway…” Clarke comments rolling the map back up and into her pants pocket. 

  
  
  


“You’re Wanheda remember? Wanheda doesn’t die. Death is at  _ your _ mercy.” Lexa replies rubbing Clarke’s back comfortingly. 

  
  
  


They walk for seven days. Lucky enough to have rain showers on the second and fifth evenings. Neither of them have had anything to eat since the bugs on the windshield and nothing to eat other than one protein bar a day for over a month before that. The starvation was starting to show. Their arms are bony and their ribs, Clarke’s especially were becoming prominent. Clarke estimated they had lost almost a fourth of their body weight since the start of Praimfaya. Both of their lips were so parched from rationing what little water they had that they cracked when either of the women talked in what had become dry raspy voices.

  
  
  


They finally collapsed at the foot of a sandy dune. Lexa’s legs give out first and she’s been supporting Clarke as they walked for the last ten miles. It would be objectively worse to die here then it would have been to die outside ALIE’s lab. Dying beneath the dunes will guarantee that the sand will wash over their bodies until they are completely hidden from view. Clarke is too exhausted to care that none of her loved ones or any of Lexa’s subjects will find them. 

  
  
  


When she opens her eyes there’s a vulture pecking at an open sore on the back of her leg. She is still slumped over an unconscious Lexa and the implications of a live creature are at first fuzzy in her food starved brain. Her first thought is to kill it and then she remembers. This bird has survived out here somehow. Her movement scares the vulture into the air and she shakily lifts herself off the ground and sprints up the top of the dune after it. The disappointment she receives when she reaches the top is enough to make her trip and roll all the way back down skinning both her elbows. There was nothing on the other side of the dune except for more desert and bird is long gone. She lays down again next to Lexa and winces at the pain of her full body sunburn. 

  
  
  


“Lexa?” She tries, softly shaking the other woman until she sits up baggy eyed.

  
  
  


“There’s nothing left for us Lexa. Everything is desert. We can’t keep on like this. I think it’s time to lay down.. I don’t think we need to wake up again..” Clarke hears her voice crack and waits for Lexa’s answer until she realizes her girlfriend has already slipped back into unconsciousness. 

  
  
  


Clarke pulls her handgun out from its holster and runs her hand over its smooth dark surface. She thinks about shooting herself and letting it all slip away. Seeing her dad again, Wells, maybe even Finn. She slowly raises the pistol to her head and takes a deep breath. It would be such a relief to finally stop the cycle of misery she’s been through since the dropship landed on earth. But then she realizes how Lexa would feel waking up to see Clarke dead the sand around them tinged red. The handgun she’s holding only has one bullet, and it’s unfair of Clarke to take it and leave Lexa without a choice.

  
  
  


The second she’s decided to stay she hears a sound from above. The bird is back. And this time it circles over the two women without flying away. Rationally Clarke supposes it’s waiting for them to die. But the reappearance of the bird gives Clarke a surge of adrenaline. She heaves Lexa onto one shoulder and the bird squawks in alarm flying off in the opposite direction it had the first time. 

  
  
  


Lexa mumbles something into Clarke’s ear half conscious and Clarke slaps her fully awake. They follow the bird up another steeper dune pushing each other until they reach the summit. This time they are rewarded. A valley encircled by rocky dunes. The only green among hundreds of miles of brown. The bird, their savior is sitting in the branches of a dead tree watching them take it all in.

  
  
  


“Thank you..” Lexa nods at the animal. Clarke smiles and shoots it in the chest. The bullet isn’t wasted.

  
  
  


They climb down the other side of the dune careful to maneuver around anything too jagged. Clarke holds Lexa’s hand and the bird by its feet in her other hand. 

  
  
  


Lexa finds an alcove beneath several trees and Clarke breaks off the most brittle branches to build a makeshift spit. Clarke’s never tasted anything more delicious than the vulture and she grins while the grease from the meat drip down her face.

  
  
  


It’s the first night since Praimfaya that Clarke  _ truly  _ feels hopeful. They sleep beneath the trees and as the sky darkens the awful heat drips away and the night sky is filled with stars and fireflies. 

  
  
  


The next morning Clarke and Lexa leave the alcove in search for their breakfast and end up finding purple berries by a field of lavender flowers. They stuff themselves full and Clarke uses the berry juice to paint war markings on Lexa’s face. Lexa picks flowers and braids them into Clarke’s knotted hair. They find the pool an hours hike away. Lexa wiggles her eyebrows suggestively and strips, this time fully. She stands on the bank with her back to Clarke. 

  
  
  


Lexa told her once that the circles on her back represent each of the Natblida’s who died in the conclave before she ascended. They’re a haunting reminder of the past and what Lexa had done to get where she was today but they were also beautiful independent of their symbolism. 

  
  
  


Clarke walks to Lexa and wraps her arms around the other woman’s waist. Lexa turns her head to catch her lips against Clarke’s for a brief moment. She tastes like the berries they’ve been eating all morning. 

  
  
  


“Let’s swim Heda.” she whispers into her ear. And so they do. Clarke undresses and they leave both their clothes piled on a tree branch  near the water. 

  
  
  


The water is cool against their sunburns and blisters. The middle of the pool is deeper than Clarke is comfortable with so they stay near the rocky edges and take turns diving from a large rock formation into the pool. Lexa is graceful, she’s been swimming in these natural pools all her life. Clarke is decidedly less so. Being brought up on the arc and the chaos that has occurred since the dropship landing there hasn’t exactly been much time for swimming lessons. 

  
  
  


The pool is so clear Clarke can see her feet against the rocky bottom and she supposes Lexa can see...everything. Clarke watches Lexa’s eyes trail down her body and feels a heavy blush rushing to her cheeks. Sunburns, blisters, sores, scratches and slight emaciation appear on both of them but Lexa still looks powerful.

  
  
  


“You’re beautiful Clarke. The marks of what we’ve been through since Praimfaya only add to you” she floats in place resting her hand on Clarke’s shoulder. Clarke nods slowly, unconvinced and Lexa swims forward bringing their faces nose to nose. Lexa’s beautiful silver grey eyes look into Clarke’s blue. 

  
  
  


“Let me prove it to you love.” She continues quietly. Lexa is the one who leans in first but Clarke kisses her back immediately. Lexa’s hands travel whisper soft down Clarke’s shoulders before coming to rest on her waist. They never leave the water. Lexa’s lips never leave Clarke’s. She pulls Lexa the rest of the way to her and then their bodies are moving together in a natural rhythm and Clarke is so damn glad that they are alive.

  
  
  


When they’re finished they let the sun dry them as they lay on the rocks they’d been jumping from. Lexa’s arm is still curled around Clarke’s waist and she runs her fingers down the blue black bruises on Clarke’s neck and chest. 

  
  
  


“I think I’ve left a few more marks on you.” She teases 

  
  
  


Clarke sighs contently and tilts Lexa’s chin up so she can touch her lips. 

  
  
  


“We’re near where the dropship landed aren’t we?” Clarke remarks casually 

  
  
  


“I think so. There should be a Shadow Valley kru village about five miles from here.” Lexa replies. Clarke smiles and stares back at Lexa 

  
  
  


“Really?” She says curiously 

  
  
  


“What are you thinking about?” Lexa laughs 

  
  


“If the death wave skipped over the valley..the people in the village could be alive. If we’re not alone we could do so much. If we had food...or horses we could get the rover it’s solar panels. Hell! We could get people to help us dig out the bunker!” Clarke responds humming happily.

  
  
  


“Let’s find our people Clarke” Lexa grins  and the two women wade back through the pool to their clothes. 

  
  
  


The five mile hike feels like a lot longer. They see the sign for the village about a mile out and the first signs of village life a little closer. When Lexa and Clarke reach the village things are dead silent.  No one is there to greet them. They both grow uneasy as they walk through the first half of the village completely unchallenged. Through traveling with the leader of the 12 clans in the days before Praimfaya Clarke has come to know grounder policies and this is not how they behave. Lexa shakes her head sadly and she can feel the hope of their morning by the pool slowly seep away. 

  
  
  


But then Clarke sports a little boy sitting quietly on the porch of a colorful house surrounded by woven art and her heart leaps. They aren’t alone after all! She gasps and runs over to meet him but from up close the boys face is blistered over so terribly that his eyes have swelled shut and there are flies buzzing in monotone around his head. The death wave may have passed over this miracle valley, but unfortunately the radiation did not. 

  
  
  


They find the rest of the villagers inside the main hall. Some died sitting up unseeing eyes looking straight ahead. Others are curled in fetal positions on the wooden floorboards, still others huddled together in corners shielding their faces in an attempt at protection. 

  
  
  


This is the reality for those who weren’t selected for the bunker. Even though it might have been a much kinder death than burning alive Clarke knows it wouldn’t have been quick. She throws up in the bushes outside and then it is time to get to work.  Lexa builds a funeral pyre out of a fallen tree on the east side of the village. They spent most of the remaining daylight collecting flowers to lay around the pyre and gathering the bodies. 

 

There are a few bodies, like the one of the boy that are sitting outside or in a tent but the hardest job is clearing the main hall. Clarke cuts off strips of her jacket to tie around her mouth and Lexa’s but the stench of rotting meat is so bad she has to excuse herself to throw up twice more. 

  
  
  


Clarke closes the eyes of each of the villagers and she works in tandem with Lexa whispering “Yu gonplei ste odon.” “Your fight is over” to each villager. They burn the bodies at dawn and watch the flames spiral into the sky as both women chew on stale bread they found in the villagers wood stove. 

  
  


They take a day trip to the berry patch, this time armed with Shadow Valley villagers wicker baskets. It’s nearly nightfall by the time they make it back to the deserted village baskets pleasantly heavy with the purple fruit. Clarke and Lexa sleep in one of the smaller tents grateful to have blankets for the first time in weeks. It has been 57 days since the start of Praimfaya. That left 1,768 more days until the group on the ring could look for a way down. 1,768 more days until Octavia and the grounders would start looking for a way out of the bunker. 1,768 days until Clarke could see her mom again. 

  
  


On the 58th day Lexa presents Clarke with a leather bound sketchbook and a nub of a pencil along with a mostly intact set of charcoal. She says she happened upon it laying unused in one of the villages cabins but Clarke suspects she was scouring village for something for her girlfriend to draw in. Lexa sits for Clarke and she draws her on top of the blankets in the tent they’ve been sharing. 

  
  
  


On the 59th day they go back to the pool with more baskets and use knives to sharpen wooden polls. Lexa dives into the middle of the pool and spears fish while Clarke watches anxiously from the shore. They carry the fish back to the village and smoke them over a fire. Lexa finds ceramic dishes in the back of the main hall and Clarke arranges the berries, smoked fish and wild honeysuckle on their plates. They set up a table outside the tent they’ve adopted as their own and pull cushions from the main hall to longue on afterwards. 

  
  
  


On the 60th day after Praimfaya Clarke and Lexa find the village well and are hard at working making a bucket to lower down when they see her. Lexa stops dead in her tracks. There is a grounder child staring at them from across the treeline. Her clothes are ripped her brown hair bushy and unkept. Her face is filthy and her eyes are an unnerving shade of blue. She can’t be older than five or six. When she sees them lock eyes with her she bolts.

  
  
  


“Wait!” Clarke calls desperately 

  
  
  


“Beja, please!” Lexa yells in Trigedasleng

  
  
  


The two women take off sprinting after the young girl. Clarke pulls ahead of Lexa and corners the grounder girl in a thicket surrounded by fallen trees. They stand there staring at each other, neither speaking a word. Clarke breaks the silence first. 

  
  
  


“You’re a nightblood right?” Clarke says “Natblida?” She repeats in broken trigedasleng  “It’s alright I’m not going to hurt you…” she smiles calmly and steps forward. A bear trap snaps closer around her leg and she screams and loses her balance. The grounder child rushes her with a rusted knife and stabs her in the arm knocking them both flat on their backs. Clarke can’t scream with the wind knocked out of her.

  
  


“Die flaimkepa!” The young girl shouts in her shrill child’s voice as she brings the knife down again. 

  
  
  


“Clarke!” She can hear Lexa calling from the other side of the thicket. The nightblood child goes still and looks at the black blood dripping from the end of her knife unto the forest floor. Lexa appears at the entrance to the thicket and runs over to Clarke who’s writhing in the forest floor.

  
  
  


“Natblida….” the child whispers to herself, looking between Clarke and Lexa and then she runs.

  
  
  
  


“Clarke…your leg...” Lexa cries prying the trap open. The teeth have ripped holes in Clarke’s pants and punctured her leg but luckily the lacerations aren’t deep. 

  
  
  
  


“She let me walk right into that trap Lexa.” Clarke smiles ruefully 

  
  
  


Lexa snorts. “She’s a Natblida that wasn’t found for the conclave. She had to be ruthless to stay alive out here.” Lexa looks off in the direction the girl ran off in. “She’s a very fast runner” Lexa notes, a twinge is admiration in her voice.

  
  
  
  


Clarke leans on Lexa who supports her weight as they drag themselves back to the village. When they finally get back the tent has been ransacked. Several blankets are  gone as well as one of the fishing spears and half a wicker basket full of berries. Lexa stitches up Clarke’s leg and carries her into the tent. They rotate watches for the little girl until morning. Clarke doesn’t get much sleep.

  
  
  
  


The next afternoon Lexa suggests an outing  to the pool. They need to clean Clarke’s wound before it   gets infected but risking their small water supply is not the way to do it. The walk takes longer with an injured Clarke hobbling forward on the other fishing spear. It’s only when they approach the bank that they see the nightblood fishing from a rock in the shallow side of the pool. She’s using the spear she stole from the village.

  
  
  


“Can you teach my girlfriend how to do that?” Lexa teases in trigedasleng, startling the young girl.   She whirls around staring daggers at the two women on the opposite bank. 

  
  
  


“Will you give us back our things?” Clarke asks hesitantly. The child turns away and begins climbing the rocks toward the forest trail.

  
  
  


“Hol op!” Lexa yells

  
  


“Wait!” Clarke screams.

  
  
  


“Beja!” Lexa calls desperately but the child is gone again. 

  
  
  


Clarke sighs and Lowers her leg into the water wincing at the sudden pain. Lexa cups water in her hands and cleans her face. 

  
  
  
  


“There’s only three people left on earth and one of the them is the child from hell.” Clarke complains.

  
  
  


“She’s still watching from the trees actually.” Lexa whispers back  in English. Clarke stares back alarmed. “Don’t look around for her or we might spook her away again.” She continues. Clarke nods and fishes her sketchbook out of the rucksack they brought along. She uses the charcoal to make a rough sketch of the little girl and Lexa weighs it down with a rock before they leave. Lexa and Clarke watch from the forest trail as the nightblood drops from a tree branch and picks up the sketch hugging it close to her chest. Lexa squeezes Clarke’s hand and smiles.

  
  
  


_ Six years later _

  
  
  
  


Clarke heaves a spear at the fish in the middle of the pool and Lexa whoops happily. The two women race each other back to the village and sit on benches skinning the fish until they hear the rumbling of the rovers engines.

  
  
  


Lexa slings an arm around Clarke and they walk to greet Madi who bounces down from the front seat of the rover and beams at them. 

  
  
  


“Alright Madi go get washed up for dinner” Clarke asks and Madi nods obediently. 

  
  
  
  


“The berries are ripe.” Madi says simply 

  
  
  


“Well isn’t that nice” Clarke replies pretending not to get what her daughter is referencing. 

  
  
  


“Come on Madi. We caught you cook.” Lexa answers.

  
  
  


“You guys promised! Last season there weren’t enough but this year they’re everywhere!” Madi whines. Clarke watches as Lexa and Madi negotiate a trade off. Two weeks of cooking and cleaning in exchange for finally going through with it.

  
  
  


“Ok I’ll drive.” Lexa offers

  
  
  


They boil the berries and Lexa uses the juice to dye strips of color into Clarke and Madis hair. When she’s done most of her fingers are stained pinkish red. Clarke and Lexa tell stories of the other delinquents and the grounders they know. Octavia, skai ripa is Madi’s favorite. The three of them lay by the dimming light of the fire, completely at peace.

  
  
  


“I’m sorry they left without you.” Madi sighs as she flips through Clarke’s sketchbook fingers trailing down the portrait of Octavia and the one of Arkadia.

  
  
  


“I’m not! Do you know how claustrophobic I would have been in a tiny spaceship for six years?” Lexa laughs. Their daughter smiles. 

  
  
  


“Besides. If we had been with them we never would have met you!” Clarke agrees hugging Madi tight. They wake up at mid morning to a large boom. 

  
  
  


“Something just passed through the atmosphere!” Clarke yells excitedly. Lexa’s on her feet in a second and then all three are sprinting for a vantage point above the treeline. It’s only when they get there that Clarke can tell something is terribly wrong. The ship that’s approaching the valley is much too big to be Raven and the others who fled to the ring. Lexa races back to the village to grab a gun and when Clarke looks through the snope she can see ‘Prison Transport’ written on the side. Clarke pulls Madi back into the foliage immediately.

  
  
  


“We need to go  _ now”  _ Clarke whispers looking emphatically at Lexa. They go to the rover and load as many guns from the village as they can and then they drive. It’s been over six years since Clarke had to face a human threat. The biggest worry her little family had faced since the discovery of the valley was an influx of crows intent on eating their garden two summers ago. Clarke has worked to build a life in the valley. A life that includes her daughter and the gorgeous woman she now  considers her wife. She’s not going to give any of it up without fighting. 

  
  
  


Clarke and Lexa bring Madi to a hollowed out hiding place she had told them her parents had used to hide her from the flamekeepers. She protests, loudly, but Clarke and Lexa each give her a kiss on the cheek and a tight hug and drive off in the rover hoping she’ll have the good sense to stay put.

  
  
  


Lexa drives the rover back to where they first saw the ship approach and the two women crawl through the underbrush, weapons loaded hoping to get a closer look. By now it’s landed and the big hangar doors are opening to give way to silhouettes of people. 

  
  
  


“Ready Wanheda?” Lexa asks taking her hand  and Clarke nods. 

  
  
  


The woman who exits first is muscular. Clarke can tell she’s in charge by the way she walks and the way the other figures around her step aside. She has borad shoulders and heavy set determined eyes. There’s a skinnier looking black man who walks up next to her and another man with a pinched face and a greasy pulled back ponytail who kneels at her feet inspecting the soil.  They’re trouble. Clarke can  _ sense _ it as she listens to their conversation with her wife. 

  
  
  


“Let’s find out what the hell happened to our planet when we were asleep..” The woman says. And find out they will indeed. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	2. Red Queen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first multi fic chapter on the archive but a lot of people in the comments wanted a full AU so here it goes. This a rewrite of red queen with the only major change being that Lexa was never shot by Titus. It mainly ties up lose ends from the last chapter about how the bunker was divvied up instead of the conclave and what happened to the nightblood children. It’s also Niylah/Octavia :))

Clarke leaves the bunker to bring Raven back to second dawn efore the death wave hits. Against the wishes of every single advisor to the commander Lexa goes with them refusing to leave her girlfriends side. Praimfaya blocks them off from the outside world less than a day later. 

  
  
  
  


Lexa never returns to the bunker. Without a leader the clans are disorganized, and already bickering. What little order Lexa left them with with her philosophy of unity crumbles in a matter of weeks. Kane manages most of the technology in the bunker, Abby by his side. The grounders allow this, they aren’t stupid. The people of Skaikru were raised on the arc and know how to run the second dawn’s  technology better than any grounder. This doesn’t mean the 13th clan is trusted, especially among the clan leaders who know what Jaha attempted before Lexa’s decision to share the bunker without bloodshed. With Lexa gone there is nothing binding them. 

  
  
  
  


Octavia remains at a crossroads. Leading Skaikru and trying her best to keep the peace among the clans. Learning to live in enclosed spaces has always been her strong suit. After all she was the girl beneath the floors.

  
  
  
  


Niylah and Miller have become her closest allies in the bunker. Niylah rarely leaves her side and stares daggers at any grounder who so much as looks the wrong way at Octavia in the cafeteria or as they pass her in the narrow hallways. Niylah and Octavia are more alike than many know. Both of their allegiances caught in the middle of the grounders and Skaikru. 

  
  
  
  


Octavia enjoys letting  her anger out during sparring sessions, Miller being one of her favorite opponents. They begin the fight on opposite sides of the room and Octavia charges first sweeping his legs out from under him with a guttural yell. Indra stands in the doorway and watches the fight until Miller is flat on his back panting,  Octavia’s sword hat his throat. She wipes a single drop of sweat from her brow and turns toward her mentor sliding the sword back into her sleeve. 

  
  
  


“Octavia the delegates have assembled” Indra smiles as Octavia extends a hand and pulls Miller to his feet. 

  
  
  
  


The leaders of the clans have called a meeting to discuss what should be done about leadership in the bunker in Lexa’s absence. Most want a council made up of representatives from each clan but others have more  _ radical _ ideas. 

  
  
  
  


After Octavia was able to strong arm Skaikru to accept 100 beds just like everyone else she has become somewhat of a people’s hero. Octavia is especially popular among the small faction of grounders who took issue with the religion of the flamekeepers and the line of nightblood commanders. 

  
  
  
  


Jaha still believes he holds power within Skaikru and that may be true. But most of the Arcs people follow Octavia, whether it’s because of her understanding of grounder culture or just because of the uneasiness most feel around the Arcs former chancellor. The man  _ had _ gassed more than 300 of his own people, twice. Lexa had publicly addressed Octavia as Skaikru’s leader during her final  speech before her disappearance and so grounder leaders also refused to recognize Jaha as a delegate.

  
  
  


Octavia accepts the bundles of clothing Indra lays out on her bunk raising an eyebrow when she sees the outfit of a grounder chief. 

  
  
  
  


“You need to look the part if you want the other clans to take your opinion seriously.” Indra explains. “They already know you’re a gifted fighter. Now prove to them that you can be a leader as well.” 

  
  
  
  


Miller and Indra leave the room so Octavia can undress in peace. When she exits, heavy fur cloak around her shoulders both nod their approval. As the three make their way to the meeting place they spot Niylah peddling a cart full of supplies to the grounders walking to the cafeteria for breakfast. Clothing personal items like bracelets and even a pair of winter boots are all among her cache. 

  
  
  
  


Niylah had told Octavia that she used to run an outpost stocked with scavenged materials before she was caught up with Clarke and the people of Skaikru. Octavia isn’t surprised that she has taken up the same practice underground. It’s not hard to imagine where most of the wares came from. Octavia can’t stop herself from thinking of Niylah carefully collecting the belongings from the cabins of the 350 Jaha had gassed. Say what you will about her methods but the grounder is extremely resourceful and is right to know that their supplies should not go to waste. She does wonder what the families of those not chosen would think about the sales, assuming they don’t already know.

  
  
  
  


Niylah perks up when she sees them approach and stops haggling with an Azgeda customer to greet the group. 

  
  
  
  


“People’s hero on her way to the delegation I see” Niylah teases in trigedasleng. 

  
  
  


“Oh shut up” Octavia replies elbowing Niylah playfully. 

  
  
  


“Come here and look what I’ve found for you skairipa” She says in English pulling Octavia over to the cart. The azgeda man she was dealing with stares impatiently at the exchange meaty arms crossed.

  
  
  
  


“I’ll be with you in just a moment.” Niylah promises and turns back to Octavia. She fishes into a satchel she’s wearing on her side and retrieves a gorgeous hardback book with a bright  red front cover. 

  
  
  
  


“I know Bellamy used to read you the parts about ancient Rome” she grins. “I figured this would give you something else to do other than beating Miller up.” 

  
  
  


Octavia rolls her eyes but takes the book appreciatively. “Speaking of beating people up we’re sparring tomorrow. Promise?” She probes, hand on Niylah’s shoulder.

  
  
  
  


Niylah leans in to whisper in Octavia’s ear. “Find me tonight and I can give you  _ quite _ the stress reliever.” She says suggestively before returning to her customer. Octavia walks back to Indra and Miller and they resume their walk.

  
  
  
  


“She’s quite forward isn’t she.” Indra says quietly to Octavia when Miller is distracted by an attractive grounder man's passing. 

  
  
  
  


“You heard what she said then?” Octavia answers surprised. 

  
  
  


“I think I can guess closely enough” Indra replies an amused smirk on her scarred face. The amusement drops when they spot Gaia skulking around the room where the delegates have marked as a neutral ground to meet.

  
  
  


“Hello daughter” Indra addresses Gaia her tone clipped.

  
  
  
  


“Do you have something you want to say to me or are you just going to stand there and hope one I spontaneously combust?” Octavia accuses. 

  
  
  
  


“I just wanted to let you know that just because you kept order in the days before Praimfaya and helped skaikru get rid of the extra people in this bunker doesn’t mean you get to be our leader. The order of the flame will never support a red blooded commander.” Gaia hisses 

  
  
  
  


“I’m not trying to replace your  _ precious _ commander Gaia.” Octavia replies her voice dripping with annoyance.

  
  
  
  


“Gaia think about what you are saying. This bunker needs a leader. Old divisions are already showing. Octavia is a skilled fighter, endorsed by Lexa. As for the matter of her blood, is there a hidden surviving nightblood child to assume control that I don’t know about?” Indra scoffs.

  
  
  


Octavia knows Indra has Gaia on her last point. Before the approach of Praimfaya had been discovered a mentally unstable Azgedian nightblood had cut off the heads of every single sleeping child in her conclave. She had been murdered by a mob of the families of the children in the conclave the following afternoon. This meant that until more children were born with black blood Lexa had been the only natural nightblood.

  
  
  
  


“Listen to your mother. You aren’t worth my time” Octavia says dismissively and walks into the meeting. Miller follows close behind.

  
  
  


The atmosphere inside the room is bleak. Two dozen conversations are going on at once that Octavia’s entrance is barely acknowledged among the chaos. Kane notices her first when he looks over from his conversation with a bald grounder woman. 

  
  
  
  


“Good. We’re all here now. Maybe we can finally get something done” Kane says clearly exhausted A couple of the other leaders and their advisors nod to Octavia but the majority continues bickering among themselves. Most talk in trigedasleng but a few humour the skaikru delegates and talk, at least partially, in English.

  
  
  
  


Octavia leans back in her chair resting her feet on top of the round table they’re seated around. She talks over their options with Kane and listens to the conversations in trigedasleng translating for the other members of skaikru who aren’t fluent. Soon it has been going on for nearly an hour with no one attempting to bring order. Just when Octavia has resigned herself to the fact that nothing of any significant importance will get done today. Indra looks pointedly across the room from Trikru’s delegation.

  
  
  
  


“Does anyone else hear that?” Kane shouts bringing a hurried hush over the gathered crowd

  
  
  
  


“Thank you for calling everyone to order Kane I-” Indra begins but is cut off by Marcus.

  
  
  
  


“Shhh listen….” He says, holding a hand up for silence. His eyes are wide. 

  
  
  


Octavia can hear it now, a faint but persistent thump that seems to come from above the chambers ceiling.

  
  
  


“Somebody’s out there.” Kane declares calmly rising to his feet. The room descends into madness. 

  
  
  


“It’s Lexa come to lead us again. Those blasphemers will face her justice.” A young man in a flamekeepers robe announces brazenly. His clan murmurs their dissent 

  
  
  


“No one could have survived Praimfaya outdoors. Lexa is  _ gone”  _ A rail thin young woman from Azgeda asserts. Octavia recognizes her as one the leading lobbyists for Octavia’s control of the bunker.

  
  
  
  


Kane and Octavia slip out of the room while the theories continue. Both hurry to the bunkers entrance where they find Abby already waiting by the sealed door. 

  
  
  
  


“Good so you’ve both heard it?” She asks holding out two more radiation suits. Octavia slips out of her fur coat kicking it into a corner and steps into the radiation suit. Abby’s hand shakes and she fumbles with the straps nervously.

  
  
  
  


“Here let me help you.” Kane offers, not waiting for a response to finish sealing the suit.

  
  
  
  


“I’ve got it.” She snaps back.

  
  
  
  


“That’s the most you’ve said to me in a month.” Kane points out bitterly. Octavia feel almost as uncomfortable listening to them trade veiled insults as she had when she’d walked in on Miller and Jackson last week, pressed up against a wall doing things they definitely should have locked the door for.

  
  
  
  


The thumping is more of a desperate banging Octavia finds out as they stand below the hatch that used to lead into the grounders sacred temple before Praimfaya.

  
  
  
  


“It’s Clarke, Marcus I know it is” Abby says hopefully. Octavia nods her head hoping she’ll convince Abby she thinks it’s a possibility. In truth Octavia thinks she’s just as delusional as the flamekeepers who believe Lexa is alive. 

  
  
  
  


“Abby you know Clarke was trying to get to space with the others. If she’s alive that’s where she will be” Marcus replies, and Octavia is thankful that he at least is level headed.

  
  
  
  


“Don’t be stupid Marcus. It’s a nightblood that knows where we are. Who else could it be?” Abby laughs. 

  
  
  
  


Octavia snaps her helmet into place and starts the first step of the stairs.

  
  
  
  


“Be careful Octavia. We haven’t opened that door since Praimfaya. You need to be ready for who we might found out there” Kane cautions. Abby snorts and pushes him aside joining Octavia at the foot of the stairs. 

  
  
  
  


“Let’s do this” she smiles, leading the way 

  
  
  
  


Abby presses the keys and dutifully types in the exit codes. The light glows bright green and Octavia lets out a breath she didn’t know she’d been holding. She pushes up on the door and it doesn’t budge. The thumping continues unchanged. Abby tries again, and then twice more with the same result.

  
  
  
  


“Kane something's wrong!” Octavia calls 

  
  
  
  


“Here let my try” He offers, grabbing Abby’s arms. She scowls at him and continues pushing. Kane joins her trying so hard Octavia can see the veins strain in his arms. 

  
  
  
  


“Octavia! Come on!” Abby yells and so she starts her own effort.

  
  
  
  


“It’s no use.” Kane realizes first. Octavia lets her hands drop limp to her side.

  
  
  
  


“Abby we’re not going to be able to open the hatch from this side. There’s clearly something blocking it.” Octavia tries.

  
  
  
  


“Clarke is out there! We can’t just leave her out there!” Abby pleads.

  
  
  
  


“Abby stop. Abby just... _ stop”  _ Kane repeats. Abby finally relents fat  teardrops rolling down her cheeks. 

  
  
  
  


“If the door is sealed from above that means the building could have collapsed.” Kane explains.

  
  
  
  
  


“She’s not getting in..” Abby realizes.

  
  
  
  


“We’re not getting out.” He says flatly.

Before either of them can process this the pounding stops and there’s a stair shaking crash.

  
  
  
  


“No! Clarke!” Abby screams and then crumples.

  
  
  
  


Two hours later Octavia is once again at a failing meeting. She stands in the middle of the control room flanked by Indra and Kane. Abby stands to their left nervously biting her nails.

  
  
  
  


The shouting outside is deafening muffled only slightly by the control rooms heavy metal doors. Octavia would be a fool to believe it’s unrelated. Word travels fast in the bunker.

  
  
  
  


Jaha parts the crowd and pushes through the doors. A short brunette stands next to him fidgeting. Her eyes dart around the room taking in the inhabitants warily. Octavia is immediately distrustful.

  
  
  
  


“I take it you already know” Abby says dryly.

  
  
  
  


“Everyone knows.” Jaha shrugs 

  
  
  
  


“Why is  _ she _ here? She’s not an engineer.” Indra asks point blank. Octavia’s wonders if her former mentor feels as uneasy around the woman as she does.

  
  
  
  


“Kara runs the hydroponic farm just like she did on the Ark. You need to hear what she has to say.” Jaha continues unabated. 

  
  
  
  


“Here are the blueprints. Go ahead.” Octavia holds them up impatiently and the older man sighs and runs his fingers through his graying facial hair.

  
  
  
  


“I don’t need the the blueprints. I studied them well enough before taking this bunker for our people.” Indra stiffens noticeably at the reminder of his coup attempt. “You want to know if there's another way out. There isn't.” He finishes with a calm that Octavia finds entirely inappropriate for the situation. 

  
  
  
  


“Well, this changes nothing.” Kane grimaces “We can't survive outside for the next 5 years, anyway.That means we have 5 years to solve this problem. What would it take to cut around the hatch or break through an outer wall? You point me to a weak spot, I'll get you a team that can break through.” 

  
  
  
  


“You're not listening. Even if we could cut around the hatch, which we can't, I'm guessing that the tower collapsed above us, which means thousands of tons of rubble. As far as the outer wall, that's 12 inches of solid steel surrounded by bedrock. There are no vulnerabilities, and we don't have the equipment to exploit them if there were, not in 5 years, not in a  _ hundred _ .” Jaha responds. 

  
  
  


Now Kane looks a lot less confident.

  
  
  


Kara takes the opportunity to cut in. “There's a more pressing issue. The hydrofarm's yield won't support us beyond those 5 years. Even if we replace the medicinal fields with food producers and rotate them for nutrient diversity, will eventually lead to a mass die-off.”

  
  
  


“For the plants and for us.” Jaha interjects stating what’s already obvious. 

  
  
  


“Why are we just hearing about this now?” Indra sounds appalled.

  
  
  


“Before now, I could manage it. When  _ Lexa _ allowed 1,200 people into this bunker, it was based on 5-year calculations.” Kara explains 

  
  
  
  


“You're blaming Lexa for this?” Octavia asks.

  
  
  
  


”I’m blaming  _ you _ . You forced your own people out into that fire, and for what?” Kara is still calm but her words are vicious. 

  
  
  
  


“Get her out of here.” Indra tells the guards.

  
  
  
  


“Jaha found this bunker. It wasn’t Lexa’s to give. It was for us but you helped her.  _ You _ convinced them to gas 400 people!” Kara accuses. 

  
  
  
  


Jaha goes to Kara and puts a hand on her shoulder. For a moment Octavia thinks they’re going to have to drag her away but she gives Octavia one last glare and walks out. 

  
  
  
  


“The hell is her problem?” Octavia scoffs when she’s sure the woman is out of earshot.

  
  
  


“Kara's father died in the culling on the Ark, and her husband,  _ well _ , he didn't make the cut for the bunker.” Abby reveals. 

  
  
  


“She's done the math. She knows we'll have to consider population reduction yet again.” Octavia wonders why Jaha is  _ still _ standing there. 

  
  
  


“Not a chance.” Octavia replies. 

  
  
  
  


“If we need an engineer again, we will let you know.” Octavia smiles sarcastically. Indra throws open the door and gestures outside. Jaha rolls his eyes, but also  leaves without a fight. 

  
  
  
  


“Escort him to a skaikru bunkroom. Post a team outside. Go.” Indra motions to their guards in trigedasleng. Kane cocks his head curiously and Indra shrugs. 

  
  
  
  


“I put a guard detail on Jaha. He doesn’t exactly have a history of being a force for good. It’s hard enough convincing the clans they should unite under Octavia. We don’t need a firestarter like him spreading panic unchecked.” She explains tiredly 

  
  
  
  


“We should increase the guard presence on every floor. I suggest assigning them to their own clans.”   
Indra groans 

  
  
  
  


“I'll segregate meal times and convene the delegates.” Kane offers. 

  
  
  
  


“This isn’t going to be good for Octavia. Separating the clans is only going to remind people she’s not ground born.” Abby points out. “But for now let’s just get back to the fact that there are too many people in this bunker.”

  
  
  
  


“Let's not.” Octavia jokes 

  
  
  
  


“I agree. It's not a decision for today, but, as much as I hate to say it, Jaha's right for once.” Kane laughs 

  
  
  
  


“He’s not in charge here. Neither are you or me or any of the other delegates. Without a leader the clans won’t accept a plan for the way forward and Lexa didn't save us all so we could just kill ourselves.” Octavia grimaces. 

  
  
  
  


“So help me bring the clans under your leadership.” Indra pleads 

  
  
  
  


“No offense Indra but up until now your people’s hero hasn’t been very interested in leading.” Kane snorts. 

  
  
  


“She’s interested now.” Indra retorts 

  
  
  
  


“If we go to half rations we can stretch the food out longer. But we’re baseline as it is...It’s not going to be long before we start seeing cases of starvation response.” Abby says grimly.

  
  
  
  


“Will we survive or not?” Kane prods impatiently.

  
  
  
  


“Oh we’ll survive. We’ll just wish we didn’t.” Abby pauses. 

  
  
  


“Some of us already do.” Kane frowns. 

  
  
  


“Then we convince the clans to let us go to half rations.” Octavia resolves. 

  
  
  


And so they do. It’s not pleasant. Octavia has familiarized herself  with the dull throb of hunger from her days beneath the floors. But she hates seeing it on the faces of the people around her. Especially the bunkers children like the fair haired child Jaha has payed such mindful attention to since Praimfaya

  
  
  


Octavia seeks out Niylah after she’s had what she supposes qualifies as dinner. She finds the grounder woman in her bunkroom. She’s awake, stretched out on top of her sheets mindlessly flipping through a history book she’d kept sitting on her cart. 

  
  
  


“Are you enjoying it?” Octavia asks from the doorway. 

  
  
  


“I haven’t really been reading. Just waiting for you” Niylah admits grinning. “Come in.” She pats an empty space on the bed next to her and Octavia obliges. She lays parallel to Niylah the other woman’s face pressed against her shoulder. Niylah traces circles on Octavia’s back and Octavia sighs satisfied.

  
  
  


She’s not quite sure what they are. Niylah hasn't exactly been much help in straightening things out. Octavia hadn’t expected to be thinking about new relationships so soon after Lincoln, brief liaison with Illian aside. But Niylah is different  _ very _ different. Octavia’s never loved a girl but her feelings for Niylah don’t feel less any less normal than how she felt during her fumbling with Atom or the rush she had when she was first falling for Lincoln. Anyways she thinks that everyone in the bunker, male or female is a little bit transfixed with Niylahs freespiritied nonchalance.

  
  
  
  


The grounder nestles a little closer her breasts pressing into Octavia’s back.

  
  
  
  


“You should take off your shirt.” Niylah suggests words muffled by Octavia’s outerwear. 

  
  
  
  


“ _ What?”  _ Octavia says back surprised, even though she really shouldn’t be.

  
  
  
  


“You seem tense. I was going to offer to give you a massage...But if you had something else in mind I’m more than happy to provide..” She smirks evocatively. 

  
  
  
  


Octavia grins, happy to take off the heavy furs she’d been forced back into after the second meeting with the Skaikru leadership. She slings her shirt off the side of the bunk and watches it drop to the ground. 

  
  
  
  


“I understand there’s a lot going on right now. Power struggles and food shortages.. I don’t know if it would help you to talk about it but..” Octavia rolls over to face her with a soft whump. Niylah sucks in a sharp breath “I’ll also be on the lookout for a new bra for you next time I’m bartering.” she continues. Octavia can feel her cheeks going pink. It’s not as if breast support was the most pressing issue after the second apocalypse.

  
  
  
  


“Clarke used to love my massages.” Niylah hums happily going to work. Octavia can feel the kinks  in her shoulders disappearing. Niylahs hands are soft and warm completely uncalloused. Octavia looks down at her own hands rough and scarred from sparring and marked from holding the weapons she loves so much. 

  
  
  
  


“I can see why..” Octavia concedes letting herself relax into the other woman’s touch. 

  
  
  
  


“Sometimes I wonder if she liked my massages more than when we had sex but they crossed over more often than not anyways so I suppose it doesn’t matter.” She moves her hands to the small of Octavia’s back and continues. 

  
  
  
  


“You’re certainly open.” Octavia snorts and Niylah nods back. 

  
  
  
  


“Are you scandalized Skairipa? I see no point in keeping things hidden. If I want to say something I say it. I had a strong urge to talk about Clarke. It felt right.” She explains.

  
  
  
  


“Do you miss her?” Octavia wonders not realizing she’s asked out loud until Niylah sighs heavily and nestles back into Octavia’s shoulder.

  
  
  
  


“Our time together was short. Just a few days at the outpost and a week in Polis. She was outwardly confused about Lexa but I could see it wasn’t meant to last. I honestly think it was the way it was meant to. She needed someone who could help her work through her feelings for women  without that person being the commander of twelve clans who could give the order to wipe out her people at any moment.” 

  
  
  
  


“You were her practice run?” Octavia balks.

  
  
  
  


“I don’t see it that way. We both got what we needed. I wish Clarke was here in this bunker helping you to stabilize us. But I wouldn’t want us to be what we were if she was.” Niylah finishes

  
  
  
  


“Why not?” Octavia questions.

  
  
  
  


“She loved the commander. And I would never have kept her tied down. Besides there’s someone else I’d like to try” Niylah glances at Octavia meaningfully. 

  
  
  
  


“You lost the man you loved. That pain is still there in you. I would never try to replace him. But..you are here now and so am I. I want to help you in every way I can and if you don’t object I’d like to show you other ways to release some tension. 

  
  
  


“Show me.” Octavia answers. They are nose to nose staring at each other in an empty bunkroom waiting for someone to break the silence. Niylah  presses her lips to Octavia’s and they are even softer than her hands were. Niylah moans small and insistent and Octavia falls a little more in love.

  
  
  
  


After they finish they lay sweaty and panting tangled up in Niylahs thin bed sheets. Octavia finds she heavily disagrees with Clarke’s supposed preference of the massages. 

  
  
  
  


“You’re right I do feel less..stressed” Octavia teases tiredly. Niylah laughs so hard it almost covers the sudden screaming from the next room. Octavia freezes sitting up hurriedly. There’s a lot worry in Niylahs warm brown eyes.

  
  
  
  


“That’s a skaikru bunk room!” Octavia realizes. She’s down the ladder in a second Niylah close behind. Miller bursts through the door unannounced and the simple fact that he doesn’t question why Niylah’s still half naked lets Octavia know it’s bad.

  
  
  
  


“What the hell is going on? Is it Jaha? I’ll kill him! He was talking about population reduction earlier but I didn’t think he was planning to take it upon himself!” Octavia shouts. 

  
  
  
  


“It’s nothing like that Octavia.” Miller replies brows furrowed.  “It’s Kara. Skaikru had the last meal shift this evening. She locked down the cafeteria. Everything we need to survive is inside along with three quarters of Skaikru.

  
  
  
  


Octavia’s stomach drops to her feet. “We underestimated her. Jaha wasn’t the threat we should have been worried about.” Octavia shakes her head in disbelief.

  
  
  
  


“Octavia you couldn’t have known..” Niylah puts a hand on her shoulder comfortingly. Octavia shrugs her off. 

  
  
  
  


“The clans are retaliating but the people in the bunk room didn’t know what was going on. They were just 15 minutes late for the wrong dinner” Miller sounds sympathetic. 

  
  
  
  


“Did  _ you _ know? Octavia snaps 

  
  
  
  


“What? Of course I didn’t know! Kara knows I’m loyal to you! I always have been!” Miller replies.

  
  
  
  


Miller takes the safety off his gun and Octavia grabs her sword from where it’s been resting against a bunk. Niylah pulls a knife from her boot but Octavia shakes her head. “Please stay here. I need someone to wake up the other clan leaders and let them know what’s going on. We need to stop the mass panic from reaching the other clans. I’m guessing whoever’s attacking Skaikru was on cleanup duty for dinner which means we can still get this under control.” 

  
  
  
  


Octavia and Miller stop the procession of grounders down the hallway first. Some are Lexa loyalists made even more pissed off by the food shortage and capture of the cafeteria. Octavia thinks she can even  spot a hooded flamekeeper among the kidnappers. But most look out of place struggling with the remainder of Skaikru. 

  
  
  
  


“Let the innocent walk. They didn’t know this was coming” Octavia demands in Trigedasleng. Most are obedient dropping the wrists of the people they’d been manhandling. A few stay stagnant glaring at her defiantly. 

  
  
  
  


“Whose idea was this?.” Miller asks cocking his gun. Octavia recognizes a bald grounder from the delegate meeting that morning. She steps forward slowly. 

  
  
  
  


“Orin kom Trishana Kru” She answers pointing towards the bunk rooms doors. “He’s still inside. So are Jaha and a little boy. I saw him hiding beneath a bed. He’s just a child.” She explains irritated at the murmuring dissent from the grounders behind her. 

  
  
  
  


Octavia tries the door handle but it’s jammed. Miller kicks in the door with a crash and presses his gun to the back of Orin’s head.

  
  
  
  


“Get out of my way  _ now _ ” Comes Indra's voice from the hallway. 

  
  
  
  


“We secured the hallway. Everyone’s alive.” Miller offers as the Trikru leader takes in the situation.

  
  
  
  


“Still you will die for this” Indra tells Orin. His eyes dart frantically from the man holding a gun to his head and the woman threatening his life.

  
  
  
  


“No” Octavia decides “They’re scared Indra. These people are  _ Hungry.  _ You deserve my mercy.” She taps the end of her sword on Orin’s shoulder. “Tell your friends I will find a way to take back the farm. Follow me and we will survive.” 

  
  
  
  


Orin nods still terrified and Miller grudgingly drops the gun from his head. Octavia blinks and then he’s gone. 

  
  
  


“Safe to say Skaikru's screwed.” Miller scoffs

  
  
  
  


“Our other bunk rooms will be the first place they look. Go room to room. Take everyone you can find and bring them to the rotunda. We can protect them there.” Octavia orders    
  


  
  
  


“Yes” Jaha agrees

  
  
  


“Not you” Octavia shakes her head. She’s not willing to believe that he had nothing to do with this. Jaha looks at the little boy he’s holding. The same one who’d been noticed hiding under the bed. Then he sets him down on his feet and smiles comfortingly. 

  
  
  


“Look. I need you to go with Nathan, all right, and I'll see you as soon as I-” Jaha tries.

  
  
  
  


“I want to stay with you.” The little boy cuts him off whining.    
  


  
  


Jaha pulls him in and kisses his hair continuing his goodbyes as Octavia turns to see Niylah walking into the bunk room. 

  
  
  
  


“You need to go with them. You’ll be safer- protected.” Octavia promises cupping Niylahs face in her hands.  

  
  
  
  


“Safety’s overrated. I’m with you.” Niylah replies determined. Octavia kisses her quickly their little moment lost among the chaos.

  
  
  
  


Miller goes off to warn the rest of Skaikru taking the little boy with him. Jaha wipes a tear from the corner of his eye and turns to face the three women. 

  
  
  
  


“Blueprints” Indra reveals pulling them out of her jacket.

  
  
  
  


“I’m guessing you need me to open another unopenable door.” Jaha laughs.

  
  
  
  
  


“If you can’t we’re dead. All of us.” Octavia reminds him 

  
  
  
  


Now Jaha sits on the floor the plans spread around him. Indra guards the door and Niylah paces in and out of the rows of bunks. Gaia steps into the room and throws back her hood. Always a flair for the dramatic, Octavia notes annoyed. 

  
  
  
  


“Well?” Octavia asks ignoring Indra’s daughter. 

  
  
  
  


“It's not good. The rest of Skaikru is safe for now, but the violence is spreading. Boudalan now controls level E and F. Ouskejon took medical.” Indra reports “The weak are holed up, barring their doors, but it's only a matter of time before the strong attack, looking for anything to help them survive. When hell breaks loose, it breaks loose fast.” 

  
  
  
  


“It isn't hell. It's who we are.” Gaia snorts 

  
  
  
  


You're wrong, Gaia. We can live in peace.” 

  
  
  
  


“Without Lexa to unite us, we are warring clans.   
That is how it has always been and will always be.” Gaia replies disgusted. Octavia wishes that the flamekeeper could go one conversation without mentioning Lexa. 

  
  
  
  


“Enough. Hunger will make it worse.   
If the people who took the farm do not make their demands soon..” Indra frowns.

  
  
  
  


“There won't be any demands. Jaha replies cryptically. “Because level C contains the farm-” 

Jaha shuffles the plans to show them and a blood splatter drips on the laminated paper.

  
  
  
  


“Are you hurt?” Indra asks 

  
  
  
  


“Uh, just a scratch.” Jaha deflects “Because level C contains the farm and the water recycler, Cadogan built it to be totally self-contained.   
Even if the rest of the bunker fails, level C remains operative….”

  
  
  
  


“Still waiting on the good news.” Octavia taps her foot impatiently. “If I can reroute the electricity from the generator on the level below, I can use the metal walls as giant conductors. Enough of it should reach the door and short out the locking mechanisms.”

  
  
  
  


“Opening it?” Niylah checks. 

  
  
  
  
  


“Yes. I should've led with that.” Jaha jokes feebly 

  
  
  
  


“Is level D clear?” Octavia wonders 

  
  
  
  


“No man's land, 5 different clans looking for someone to take their anger out on. The second they see him, he's dead.” Indra shakes her head

  
  
  
  


“Then let's make sure they don't see him. Niylah, can you make him look like a Grounder?” Octavia asks hopefully 

  
  
  
  


“You know I can.” She winks. Even in a situation where the fate of the majority of the surviving members of humanity rests on her shoulders she still finds herself smiling at the grounder. 

  
  
  
  


“Octavia, it's too dangerous.” Indra protests 

  
  
  
  


“Not as dangerous as doing nothing.” Gaia concedes. Agreeing with Octavia for what must have been the first time since they arrived in the bunker. 

  
  
  


“We split up. You draw as many people as you can from level D, and I'll get Jaha to that generator.”

  
  
  


It takes what feels like hours. She spends them  dragging the former chancellor through fire lit hallways and puddles of blood. The screams of the injured bounce off of the concrete walls. Octavia sees his wound. The blood is seeping through his shirt. Even so Octavia doesn’t mention it until he’s set next to the wires. She paces anxiously while he wheezes and reroutes.

  
  
  


“Hey, are you still with me?” She yells panicked when he closes his eyes and slumps to the ground. 

  
  
  


“All I need to do is connect the final wires.” He reassures her tiredly. 

  
  
  


“Then  _ do _ it. Let's go.” Octavia shouts impatiently 

  
  
  
  


“No. I know you've never felt like you were a part of our people, and I don't fault you for that.   
Living on the Ark must have been so hard for you, so I'm truly sorry about that, Octavia.” He apologized 

  
  
  
  


“Do we need to talk about this right now?” She asks incredulously. This is the wrong time and he knows it. 

  
  
  
  


“Yes Because, like it or not we are your people. Lexa saved us too.” He reasons 

  
  
  
  


What the hell do you want from me, Jaha? Connect the damn wires!” She yells 

  
  
  


“I said no. Once we open that door, the Grounders gathered on the outside will pour in and kill everyone on the inside, guilty and innocent alike, even the children. I can't let that happen. I won't.” 

  
  
  
  


“Then we all die.” Octavia can’t believe that the man who’s killed his people twice for the greater good is picking tonight to be a hero. 

  
  
  
  


“Go to the door.  _ Make _ the Grounders stand down, and when I have your word that only the guilty will be punished, I'll send the surge.” 

  
  
  
  


“They won't listen to me.” 

  
  
  
  


“Make them listen. You don't have to be a Commander to command. Save your people.  _ All _ of them.” He pleads 

  
  
  
  
  


Octavia finally relents. “Just try not to die before it’s done.” 

  
  
  
  
  


She has to fight her way down to the farm killing only a Yujleda woman who attacks her with a broken piece of pipe when she’s nearing the stairs It doesn’t take much to see that she’s angry, and won’t be backing down. Octavia doesn’t wait for her body to hit the ground before she’s running again. 

  
  
  
  


Octavia sees Indra first. Gaia and Niylah are standing next to her arms crossed. A crowd of grounders ram the door chanting what may as well have been Lexa’s catchphrase.  _ Blood must have blood.  _

  
  
  
  


“Is it done?” Indra shouts over the noise.

  
  
  
  


“Not quite” Octavia replies as Niylah folds her into a tight hug. 

  
  
  
  


“You’re alive…”  Niylah smiles relieved. 

  
  
  
  


“There’s something I need to do first…” Octavia tells them carefully pulling away from Niylah. She sidestepped a confused Indra and walks towards the mass of angry grounders. 

  
  
  
  


“Hey! I can open the door!”  Octavia taunts. And all at once the mob goes silent.” 

  
  
  
  


“Then do it, Skairipa, so we can rid ourselves of your honorless people once and for all.” A beefy grounder replies. 

  
  
  
  


“You're right. They are my people, but so are you,  _ all _ of you.” She asserts. “Lexa is  _ gone _ . I don’t want to replace her. I will not be your commander but I will unite us. Just as she did. The clans fighting solves nothing.  I am the only one who knows how to open this door. And I won’t do it unless you unite behind me. We will take back the farm for all of us. For  _ Wonkru _ , and that includes the innocent people on the other side of that door.” 

  
  
  
  


The beefy man pretends he’s contemplating this as he prepares to lunge at Octavia. She’s more than ready for him. It takes three stabs to fell him. He crumples to the floor but he won’t die quickly. 

Niylah gasps and Indra stumbles forward. Gaia has to hold them both back from rushing to her defense. 

  
  
  
  


“She needs to do this herself” Says the flamekeeper. 

  
  
  


Octavia wipes a blood splatter from her face and smiles in what she hopes is a disconcerting manner. 

  
  
  


“You are Wonkru or you are the enemy of Wonkru” she addresses the crowd. “Choose”  Two men rush her at once. It seems they have chosen. One of them is Orin and Octavia remembers Jaha bleeding out on the floor by the generator. She spared his life earlier but this..

  
  
  
  


“For Jaha.” She whispers and her blade finds its home between his ribs. Octavia pants and repeats herself. 

  
  
  
  


“You are Wonkru or you are the enemy of Wonkru.  _ Choose”  _ Three men and a woman run towards her yelling clubs and swords raised. She twirls between them stabbing at their vulnerabilities. She leans over panting once she’s taken them down and the mob watches her warily. Two women side eye each other seeing their chance to attack. Octavia grins at Indra as she straightens. The Trikru warrior taught her well. 

  
  
  
  


“You are Wonkru or you are the enemy of Wonkru. Choose!” She yells waving her sword across the gathered crowd. By the time Octavia is three quarters of the way to the door the walls, floors,  and Octavia are slick with fresh blood. Half of the crowd is already dead. She can sense the changing atmosphere in the room as they start to realize she’ll kill everyone in the path to the door is she has too. The ones who don’t want to die press themselves to the walls whispering to each other. 

  
  
  
  


The stragglers still determined to fight stand their ground. Octavia continues her slaughter. Her next enemy stands directly in front of the door and raises his ax uncertainty. She glares and speaks directly to him. 

  
  
  
  


“ _ You _ are Wonkru or you are the enemy of Wonkru. Choose?” He drops his ax and falls to his knees. The woman next to him does the same and soon the survivors are kneeling at her feet. Niylah curtsies and then does the same. Octavia pulls the walkie Jaha gave her from her pocket. 

  
  
  
  


“It’s over Jaha. Open the door.” She sighs. 

“Only the guilty!” She reminds the warriors as they funnel through the door. Octavia knows that  she looks absolutely deranged as she spots a petrified Kara staring from the other side of the room. She turns tail and runs when she sees Octavia. 

  
  
  
  


Kara is standing in the farms nursery  with a gun to her head when Octavia catches up with her. It’s clear she’s about to pull the trigger Abby and Kane are chained to a pipe behind her. 

  
  
  
  


“Uh uh. It’s not gonna be that easy.” Octavia smiles and skewers Kara’s hand with her knife. Kara screams and then sobs and Octavia walks the other way. Octavia is there when Jaha dies. He hangs on long enough to say goodbye to Abby and Kane and for Octavia to promise to watch over the boy he’d been protecting. He slips away with Kane holding his hand. The boys name is Ethan. 

  
  
  
  


Octavia rushes to the control room alone taking time to collect herself. Laying with her head on the cold desk. She’s still covered in blood. Gaia and Indra find her there.

  
  
  
  


“Our faith dictates that only a true Commander can unite the clans, that without a Natblida, we would be lost..Then you delivered us from Praimfaya when Lexa was nowhere to be found. Today you delivered us from starvation. I now believe that you will deliver us back to the ground.” Gaia kneels at Octavia’s feet. 

  
  
  
  


_ “Your _ people await justice.” Indra adds somberly. 

“You'll need clean armor.”

  
  
  
  


“Leave it. Let them see her like this. The blood of our enemies  _ is _ her armor.” Gaia asserts. When Octavia emerges from the control room onto the metal stairs of the rotunda all talking stops.    
Gaia is right. The blood scares them into submission. 

  
  
  


“There are too many people in this bunker” She remarks as she walks. “And if we don't do something about this, none of us will survive to see the sun, the sky, the ground, and I won't let that happen. Each of you have committed crimes against Wonkru, and the punishment for this is death. There is no Skaikru. There is only Wonkru and the enemies of Wonkru. This isn't the Ark, and this isn't the ground, either. There is no blood must have blood. Lexa is dead and gone. And so is her little mantra. In Rome, the gladiators had the opportunity to fight for their freedom And so will you.” She unsheaths her sword and throws it into the ring. Conclave rules. Win the fight, save your life.”

  
  
  
  


Kara gets the sword first and looks straight at Octavia as she murders them all.   
  


  
  
  


_ Six years later _

  
  
  


Niylah clings to Octavia’s side and groans in protest as the other woman starts to pull away. 

  
  
  
  


“You heard Kara. Fight starts in fifteen minutes. I have to preside” She reminds her girlfriend.

  
  
  
  


“We can get a lot done in fifteen minutes.” Niylah retorts and Octavia straddles her so she’s sitting on top legs wrapped around her hips. She looks down at Niylahs flushed form and smiles. The bedroom they share is quite impressive. With the massive red wall hangings and plush king sized bed it’s almost possible to forget they’re sleeping in the center of an industrialized bunker 300 feet below the ground.  Kara bangs on the door and The fourth time in the last hour. Octavia rolls off to the side and Niylah crosses her arms disappointed. 

  
  
  
  


“This is an important day for the fights Bloodreina. You need to be on time.” Kara calls from the door.

  
  
  
  


“Mmm someone’s jealous.” Niylah quips pulling Octavia back under their mass of blankets. “I wish you could just stay here with me all day…” she whines kissing a bruise on Octavia’s neck.

  
  
  
  


“So do I Niylah. But  _ Kara _ would never allow it.” She jokes 

  
  
  
  


“I heard that!” Kara shouts goodnaturedly from outside. Octavia drags herself out of bed and Niylah tumbles out with her. She helps her dress for the conclave. As always Gaia will have the ceremonial paint ready when she arrives. 

  
  
  
  


“Does Bloodreina never get a day off.” Niylah pouts from the side of the bed where she’s braiding her hair. 

  
  
  
  


“It doesn’t seem like it.” Octavia smiles crossing the room to kiss her goodbye. 

  
  
  
  


“I’ll see you for dinner.”  Niylah replies, more of a statement then a question. She knows what she wants and it’s rare that Octavia doesn’t give in to her. 

  
  
  
  


“You will.” Octavia nods pressing their temples together. “I love you”

  
  
  
  


“And I love you.” Niylah calls as Octavia goes to join Kara and the rest of her guard for the walk to the conclave. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback is always appreciated. For the people in it for the Clexa don’t worry! This chapter is the only one that will not mainly focus on the relationship between Clarke and Lexa going forwards.


	3. Sleeping Giants

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Little bit of a shorter third chapter but that’s mainly because so much of what happens in sleeping giant is not Clarke POV. Was still a fun write and I hope it will be a fun read :,)

Lexa and Clarke have been crouched behind a rock formation for the past hour. Madi pulled close to their sides. The pained cries of one of the unknown invaders has been bouncing off the rocks for the last ten minutes. There’s no sign of his screams waning which strikes Clarke as impressive considering his current position includes being impaled through the chest. She’s been trading off the rifle with Lexa every few minutes. Scanning the treeline looking for any sign of fresh faces. Maddie looks extremely uncomfortable huddled against Lexa’s side in the slight chill. She should be. Clarke and Lexa had barely saved her from the men who’d found her in her hiding place. 

  
  
  
  


Lexa could have strangled the bald one to death with her bare hands if his compatriot hadn’t taken her by surprise and sent her flat on her back. Clarke had rushed in to help her wife but Madi had been the one to pull the trigger. He was the first person Madi had seen other than Clarke and Lexa for  _ six years  _ and she’d ended up shooting him dead. The other man had stayed down, too spent to stand or maybe just trying to gain some trust. By the time Clarke had wrestled the gun from Madis clenched he was pleading with his eyes, gasping for breath to try and get a word out. It didn’t matter. 

  
  
  
  


“Clarke he tried to help me. I think..he might be a good guy” Madi had offered looking at the ground sheepishly. Lexa grabbed her daughter's hand and dragged her away from Clarke who stayed facing their attacker. 

  
  
  
  


“Madi turn around” Lexa had whispered in Trigedasleng and pulled her in close to her chest. Clarke turned to look at Lexa who nodded back at her. 

  
  
  
  


“There are no good guys.” Clarke answered, taking a deep breath. It took a single shot. Clarke left his body laying face up and hurried to fold herself into Lexa’s open arms. The three of them stood like that and Clarke thought about the family they’d formed in the isolation of the valley. Everything was changing. And it’s wasn’t in a way any of them were ready for. 

  
  
  
  


They left the woods a few minutes later. Lexa worried the noise from the shotgun would carry. It turned out she had been completely right. Madi helped them lead the long haired hulk of a man, the first sent to investigate the disturbance into a bear trap that Lexa and Clarke had set in a clearing only a few weeks earlier. 

  
  
  
  


During the first half year after Praimfaya Lexa and Clarke kept up on target and fighting practice. Eventually adding Madi to the mix as the once shy nightblood child had inched closer to their camp. As opposed to watching from the shadows and hoarding the trails of food Lexa and Clarke prepared for her. 

  
  
  
  


But things had changed in the five years since. They’re all admittedly rusty at fighting off anything bigger than the odd raccoon who had snuck into their food storage. Lexa and Clarke much preferred day trips to the pool in the summer and storytelling in their tents during the winter to honing their fighting talents. Lexa had taught Madi to forage and to cook a few grounder traditions from the Trikru village she’d grown up in. Clarke showed Madi her sketches and carefully helped her little hand use charcoal to trace the faces of a brother she had been close with before Praimfaya. 

  
  
  
  


The memories of the boy faded with time, she couldn’t have been more than five when the wave hit. One day Clarke realizes she can’t remember the last time Madi’s mentioned him. That night she asked Lexa if she thought he could have been the decaying child Clarke had estasically run up to when they walked unchallenged into the village that first summer day. Lexa had shook her head shivering even underneath the thick fur blankets they’d been wrapped up in at the time. 

  
  
  
  


“I don’t want to think about that day. I live in what we’ve made together now. This place is miraculous and so are we” Clarke’s eyes darted from the nightblood child sleeping in a well lit corner to a smiling Lexa. The women had slipped wordlessly out of their tent and into the frosty late autumn night. Lexa had taken Clarke’s hand and all but dragged her to the main hall. 

  
  
  
  


They’d made a nest for themselves out of the puffy chairs the villagers had used for seats when eating communal meals and blankets filched from other empty tents. The more comfortable Madi had become around them the more reluctant she’d become to separate from them. Even if it was for a short time. For the first year after the second apocalypse the grounder girl had trailed them latching on to their shirtsleeves or clinging to their legs. 

  
  
  
  


Whether it was fishing berry picking or just an out of the blue hike Madi insisted on joining. They both enjoyed the attention even if Lexa seemed to do a better job of hiding it. Clarkes face was an unfailing smile time every time Madi said so much as said her name. The downside of the child's devotion how little time there was to spend alone with just the two of them. Clarke almost catches herself missing the early days Lexa had spent nursing Clarke to health in ALIE’s bunker. 42 days curled around each other at every possible moment. The conversations had been deep the time they spent sleeping together left Clarke breathless on more than one occasion. 

  
  
  
  


Clarke remembers the tired looks she’d seen on the faces of new parents when she’d been on the ark. She’d always been sympathetic but now she understands, at least partially the exhaustion in their eyes. Sometimes she sees the same expression when she catches her reflection. Lexa assures her she’s as beautiful as ever. Still, Clarke thanks whatever higher power exists that Madi isn’t a newborn.  After the sleeping arrangements were out of the way they’d layed next to each other eye to eye.

  
  
  
  


“Madi won’t be awake for at least five more hours.” Lexa gently reminds Clarke for the third time since they left the tent. Clarke knew it had amused (and still did) Lexa how much of a mama bear Clarke had turned out to be but she knew her wife found the small reassurance about leaving their daughter alone comforting. 

  
  
  
  


That time Clarke had taken the lead flipping Lexa so she’s stretched out on her back beneath her. Lexa had smiled smiles dark eyes flashing suggestively. The commander pulled into the small kiss Clarke pressed to her neck. Clarke leaned down to grind her hips against Lexa’s and the other woman groaned appreciatively. By the time Lexa’s hand had traveled from her wispy blond hair to the waistband of Clarke’s pants neither of them felt the chill. The next morning they’d woken up to find a bushy haired child between them. Seems Lexa’s estimate was a little off after all.

  
  
  
  


Clarke is wishing for times like those when they end up crouched behind the rock waiting presumably for the intruder to meet his drawn out painful end. 

  
  
  
  


“This doesn’t feel right.” Madi admits staring at her parents thick eyebrows furrowed. 

  
  
  
  


“These people are trying to take our home. We have to defend ourselves.” Clarke explains patiently while Lexa takes a turn on the scope.

  
  
  
  


“I know that. And I want to protect the valley. But can we kill him now? There’s no need for him to suffer right?” Madi reasons. Clarke can’t keep herself from a slight smile even now. Lexa and Clarke have raised Madi well. She does what is necessary with compassion. Madi has always been the one eager to check the traps so that the animals caught there don’t suffer. But this man is not the same. His pain has a purpose even if Madi isn’t sure what that is. 

  
  
  
  


“Not yet.” Lexa answers for her shoving Madis back into the ground. She isn’t overly rough but Clarke still wonders what the hurry is, until Lexa hands her the scope and she sees the medium sized group moving into the clearing. It looks to be about ten people. The same woman from before moves in first. 

  
  
  
  


“The leader?” Lexa wonders out loud. The rat looking man and timid looking third follow close behind. Clarke can't hear what they’re saying from this distance but the woman definitely appears uncertain. She’s smart, to spot the trap when no one else has. The greasy man argues with her throwing up a few hand gestures and she waves him off distractedly scanning the hills. 

  
  
  
  


Another man impatiently charges forward towards the one they have impaled. Unwilling to let what seem to be the people in command finish their conversation. Clarke puts a bullet between his eyes and into the chest of the next two men who try to help him. Then they’re all still splitting looks between the first man and woman about what to do next. 

  
  
  
  


Clarke passes the scope to Lexa and reaches down to check on Madi who’s breathing shakily. Lexa fires twice most likely to take out the dying man. That diversions usefulness is spent. Then she visibly tenses and Clarke opens her mouth to ask what’s wrong before being blown back five feet into the air. The rock, the only cover has been obliterated saving them from the same fate. 

  
  
  
  


Clarke raises her head weakly and looks wildly at where they’ve all landed. She can see Lexa doing the same from about three feet away. She spots Madi laying facedown and her heart drops into the pit of her stomach. She crawls frantically toward her daughter shaking her shoulder.

  
  
  
  


“Madi?” Her voice echoes and a loud ringing in her ears intensifies. Madi raises her head slowly. She’s in pain but her eyes are clear. It’s a good sign.

  
  
  
  


“Get up! We have to run!” Lexa coughs hoarsely and extends them an arm each. The only cover for a mile is gone. Their only chance is to move and hope that whatever the invaders lobbed at them was a one time only shot.

  
  
  
  


It takes Madi and Lexa 15 minutes to make it to a treeline but by that time Clarke is lagging behind clutching her side. Five men are sprinting towards them and they are gaining. 

  
  
  
  


“Clarke!” Lexa screams panicked. There are fresh tear steaks on Madis dirty face. Clarke takes a deep breath and makes a decision. 

  
  
  
  


“Lexa get Madi to safety. I’m going to hold them off.” She tells her wife firmly.

  
  
  
  


“I’m not leaving you.” Lexa shakes her head in disbelief. 

  
  
  
  


“We’re not splitting up” Madi agrees. Before Clarke can argue a bullet hits her in the thigh. She looks down and sees a ample splash of black against the brittle green brown forest floor and then she crumples. Clarke passes out listening to Lexa telling their daughter to run. She hopes Madi listens.

  
  
  
  


The next time Clarke wakes up her face is pressed against the familiar grass of the village. The same grass Lexa would eat an early breakfast with her on now marred by violence. She spits out a mouthful of dirt and inches her way onto her back immediately facing Lexa who’s tied to a nearby tree her face a pulpy mess. The commander put up one hell of a fight and Clarke wouldn’t have expected anything less. 

  
  
  
  


She’s grateful to not see Madi anywhere. It might be safe to assume she’s still hiding in the woods or however far away she’d been able to run. Clarke’s stomach knots worriedly. 

  
  
  
  


“Good she’s awake.” A voice mocks from above. 

“Sit her up I want to see her face.” The person continues. 

  
  
  
  


Beefy arms hook through Clarke’s own and pull her to her feet. A sharp spike of pain finally registers but Clarke manages to avoid looking at her leg. Clarke’s staring right into the deep set eyes of the woman she’d singled out earlier. Clarke takes the opportunity to study the woman. She’s tall quite muscular, the bottom of a tattoo peeking out from her dusty brown jumpsuit. The men around her seem just as confused as Clarke is looting through the houses and tearing down the villages intricate string art trying in vain to find something familiar. Before she can get a word in the woman waves her hand and the men holding her throw Clarke to the floor.

  
  
  
  
  


“Who else was out in the woods with you? I know the two of  _ you  _ didn’t kill six of my men by yourselves.” The woman asks  Clarke snorts and shakes her head but doesn’t speak. 

  
  
  
  


“Mccreary” The woman says flicking her head towards Clarke. The skinny man steps forward and hits Clarke across the face with the back of his hand. The blow stings but Clarke keeps silent. 

  
  
  
  
  


“Clarke!” Lexa manages to croak in Trigedasleng 

  
  
  
  


“Shut up!” Mccreary threatens. 

  
  
  
  


“Answer the damn question.” He hisses at Clarke inches away from her face. She looks straight at him and spits in his face. Mccreary recoils momentarily and then raises his fist. Clarke stares back defiantly. 

  
  
  
  


“Not yet.” The woman smiles distractedly cutting the next beating off. “First we pray. Secure the perimeter. Her people will come for her.” The woman strides off Mccreary skulking close behind, giving Clarke a suspicious side eye as he passes her. The timid man follows them cautiously sidling his way up to the woman. It’s more clear than ever that she’s in charge but Clarke still wants to know why the other man is the only one in a different uniform, his steel gray stands out against the brown jumpsuits the rest of them flaunt. 

  
  
  
  


The same two men that lifted Clarke up carry her now across the lawn to the middle of the main hall, they leave Lexa tied to her tree. Clarke slumps deadweight in their arms as they go dragging her feet on the ground. 

  
  
  
  


The men tie her to a chair and leave Clarke by herself. She strains her neck but can’t hear anything going on outside just a dull roar of conversation. She figures it’s been about an hour before she hears the thud of boots, heavy on the wood porch out front.

  
  
  
  


The woman and the man in the grey suit make their way to Clarke. There’s no sign of Mccreary which sends Clarke into a brief moment of panic about Lexa before there’s a voice from the woman’s radio. 

  
  
  
  


“Almost got our perimeter Diyoza” she can Mccreary's throaty bark. The good news is his mean streak is nowhere near her wife. But it could be bad for Madi if she’s not smart enough to stay away from the village. The quiet man kneels at her side looking curiously at the steady drip of black blood from her thigh.

  
  
  
  


“What the hell..” He whispers dipping a finger and sniffing. He goes still and sits on his knees and Clarke can see the wheels in his head turning.

  
  
  
  


“Shaw?” Diyoza snaps shaking his shoulder.

  
  
  
  


“Blood alteration.” Shaw answers “Like they used in Eligius three. Two suns no sunscreen needed.” He continues 

  
  
  
  


“Must be how they survived down here.” Diyoza nods. She gives Clarke’s leg a quick once over. 

Diyoza picks up her radio and tunes to a channel.

  
  
  
  
  


“Get me a medkit over at the big house.” She requests.

  
  
  
  


“Will do” a voice answers back 

  
  
  
  
  


“We got off on the wrong foot, you and I.” Diyoza points out pulling up a chair. “We had no idea that there was anyone alive down here. How could we have? We were just trying to get back home.   
Imagine our surprise when we found that there was no home to get back to, and then your people started killing mine. Surely you can understand why I'm upset. Just like you were upset when we took your village. I don't blame you. When a fascist government tried to take my home, I wanted blood, too, and I got it.. Nobody else has to die today.You tell me what I need to know, and we can come up with an arrangement that works for all of us.” Diyoza pauses and waits for a few seconds. Clarke is still. 

  
  
  
  


“Maybe she doesn't speak English.” Shaw says pacing back and forth behind Diyoza. 

  
  
  
  


“Oh she speaks English.” Diyoza rolls her eyes “She just wants us to think she doesn't so we'll speak freely and reveal something she can use against us. Every time patrol checks in she looks at this.” She picks up the  radio and waves it in front of Clarke. “She's tracking our movements; that's all she cares about. You don't want to talk, that's fine.  _ Don't talk _ . But we'll see how you feel when we find whoever it is you're protecting.” Diyoza gives the radio a casual flip and speaks into it looking straight at Clarke as she does. “Change of plans, ladies and gentlemen. No more prisoners, shoot to kill.    
  
  


  
  
  


It’s dark now. There’s a fire cracking in the middle of the room and neither Shaw or Diyoza have made any move to leave. Clarke’s been listening to the radio for any indicator that Diyozas soldier are close to where Lexa may have been separated from Madi. She’s been silent still pretending she doesn’t understand what’s going on but if she thinks Madi’s in danger she’ll drop the act in an instant.

  
  
  
  


“Here” Shaw frowns pushing a canteen against her lips. She drinks savoring the water even if it tastes metallic.

  
  
  
  


“Come on. What harm could come from telling me your name?” He whispers. Then Clarke understands he gave her the water to play an angle. She’s just as quiet and unblinking as she’s been all afternoon.

  
  
  
  
  


“Fine” he sighs straightening up. “Believe it or not this is the best conversation I’ve had in over a hundred years.”

  
  
  
  
  


“I was an altar boy in a church just like this. Saginaw. Two hours outside of Detroit. I could make it in one on my Harley.” Shaw remembers more than a hint of nostalgia on his voice unfazed by Clarke’s lack of commentary. She doesn’t react but files the information away. The fact that this was an old world church makes sense with Diyozas comment about prayer earlier..

“God I miss that bike.” He snorts “More than I miss most of the people actually”

  
  
  
  
  


“We just saw someone coming out of a cave!” Mccreary yells through the radio. Diyoza snatches the radio up.

  
  
  
  
  


“Follow her then!” Diyoza smirks triumphantly at Clarke.

  
  
  
  
  


“She turned right heading west! Shit no she’s going north!” Another man reports in. Clarke doesn’t recognize the voice.

  
  
  
  
  


“We’ve got her cornered!” Mccreary confirms “I got a shot..” he continues 

  
  
  
  
  


“No!” Clarke shouts. “Please she’s just a child.”

  
  
  
  
  


“She speaks!” Diyoza replies bemused 

  
  
  
  
  


“Tell them not to shoot! Please” Clarke cuts in panicked. Diyoza scowls.

  
  
  
  
  


“How many others are in the woods?” She demands 

  
  
  
  
  


“There’s no one else. It’s just the three of us. I am begging you!” Clarke cries 

  
  
  
  
  


“Waiting for orders.” A male voice crackles through the radio. Diyoza looks to the radio and then back at Clarke. 

  
  
  
  
  


“Fire at will.” Diyoza orders There’s gunshots from the radio. Clarke gasps.

  
  
  
  
  
  


“Shit she went behind those twin rocks!” Mccreary curses. “Falk take her out on the other side!”

  
  
  
  
  


“I know where she is. That’s our summer hunting grounds. She’s leading them into a trap.” Clarke reveals. “Diyoza. If you don’t stop them right now those men will die. All of them” 

  
  
  
  
  


“I believe her.” Shaw tries 

  
  
  
  


“If you let her go I promise that we will tell you  _ everything _ ” Clarke offers.  Diyoza weighs her options tilting her head to the side as she thinks.

  
  
  
  
  


“All units stand down. Over?” 

  
  
  
  
  


“If we stand down, she'll get away. I'm taking the shot.” Mccreary lobs back 

  
  
  
  
  


“Falk, if McCreary disobeys, shoot him in the leg.   
Harris, if Falk disobeys, shoot him in the head.” Diyoza barks at the radio.

  
  
  
  


“Standing down.” Murphy replies irritated 

  
  
  
  


“Good choice. There may be traps near your position. Check it out and report back. Over.” Diyoza instructs her men.

  
  
  
  


“Son of a bitch. Another bear trap. Almost stepped right in it. Report to base camp. Over and out.” Mccreary goes silent and Clarke breathes a sigh of relief. 

  
  
  


“Thank you.” 

  
  
  
  


“Thank you for telling the truth.” Diyoza counters. “As long as you keep doing that, your friend in the woods will stay alive, and so will you.   
Do we understand each other?” 

  
  
  
  


“She’s my  _ daughter _ .” Clarke replies defensively . Diyoza raises her eyebrows.  “I mean yes. Understood” Clarke concedes. 

  
  
  
  
  


“Good. Then let's begin.” Diyoza sits back down    
across from Clarke. Shaw slips in behind her. 

  
  
  
  
  


“Start with how the world ended” Diyoza tells her curiously. Clarke smirks back 

  
  
  
  
  


“Which time?”

  
  
  
  
  


Clarke talks for what must have been hours. The first thing she does is demand a space for Lexa. Shaw is the one to bring her inside. He doesn’t drag her inside like Clarke’s captors did but instead helps her inside with a hand on her lower back as she limps along. They place Lexa in her own chair still bound but at least in a chair next to Clarke. The two women interlace hands and Clarke whispers small comforts to her in Trigedasleng. Diyoza studies them closely.

  
  
  
  
  


“You two seem close. Suppose anyone would be if they were the last two women on earth” she snorts 

  
  
  
  
  


“My name is Lexa kom Trikru and this is my  _ wife  _ Clarke kom Skaikru. We have been living alone on earth for the past six years with our daughter Madi.  Lexa replies coldly. Diyozas eyes widen but then her face melts into an almost pleasant smile. 

  
  
  
  
  


“It’s nice to see earth made some positive changes before it went completely to shit.” She laughs. “Most countries asininely refused to allow marriages like yours when my crew left earth.”

  
  
  
  


“That’s fucking hot.” Mccreary leers from where he’s been standing guard since his team got back from the bear traps. 

  
  
  
  


“What the hell man. Shut up.” Shaw sounds pissed off 

  
  
  
  
  


“Back to the apocalypse I hope?” Diyoza frowns staring daggers at Mccreary.

  
  
  
  


Clarke talks first telling the story of ALIE’s plan for population reduction and  the nuclear bombs she launched that made the earth uninhabitable for 100 years. She talked about the last vestiges of humanity on the Arc and the strict rules that had landed her and the rest of the delinquents in prison. Clarke told Diyoza about the last ditch attempt to return to the ground when the oxygen ran out and the realization that they weren’t alone. 

  
  
  
  


Lexa took over from there explaining the mountain men and how the alliance had brought Lexa and Clarke together. The commander talked about her leadership and the reemergence of ALIE via Chancellor Jaha. Lexa explained the expiration of the reactors and the subsequent nuclear meltdown that had killed the new society and left Clarke Madi and Lexa the only surviving nightbloods and the only people left on the surface of the earth. 

  
  
  
  


Diyoza asked question after question interrogating both women for holes. Sometime in the middle of the explanation Diyoza sends troops out to scan the perimeter but Clarke thinks nothing of it until one very perplexing radio check in. And then the fragile peace they’ve created goes to absolute shit.

  
  
  
  


“uh Colonel, we have five more hostiles.   
At least one is armed. Are we still playing nice? Stand by.” 

  
  
  
  


“Find out where they are and reinforce their position”. Diyoza says shaking her head sadly.

  
  
  
  


“You heard her. Grab the gear!” Mccreary snarls 

  
  
  
  


“Not you, McCreary.” Diyoza commands 

  
  
  


“What did I tell you would happen if you lied to me?” Diyoza shakes her head. “And I liked you two I really did. It didn’t have to be like this I don’t want to separate such a happily married couple.” 

  
  
  
  


“I didn't lie!” Clarke pleads 

  
  
  
  


“Who are they!” Diyoza growls 

  
  
  
  


“We don't  _ know!”  _ Lexa cries and Diyoza kicks Clarke’s chair to the floor. 

  
  
  
  


“Take Clarke outside. Use the collar.” She tells Mccreary

  
  
  
  


“I thought you'd never ask.” Mccreary says darkly 

  
  
  
  
  


“Colonel She's cooperating.” Shaw reasons 

  
  
  
  


“Which is why she'll live. Her friends, on the other hand….” Diyoza shrugs and Shaw loosens her restraints whispering apologies. 

  
  
  
  


Mccreary pushes her down the front stair and she tumbles the rest of the way down knocking her head against a loose board. She groans from the ground clutching her head in her hands. 

  
  
  
  


Clarke paws at the collar she hadn’t thought much about since she’d woken up in the village. She figured it had been a precaution something they had used to transport her back into the village maybe.

  
  
  
  


“I wouldn’t touch that if I were you. Don’t want to burn your fingers.” Mccreary taunts and then there’s only pain. Pain so intense her vision goes blinding white as her body contorts. When she’s able to think coherently she finds Mccreary Shaw and Shaw looming over her.

  
  
  
  


“Please. I wasn't lying.” She pants gradually becoming aware of Lexa calling from inside.

  
  
  
  


“Hit her again.” Diyoza asks tiredly    
  


  
  
  


“I don't know who that was.” Clarke groans unable to lift her head after the second shock. 

  
  
  
  
  


“I guess you made your point.” Shaw sighs disappointedly

  
  
  
  
  


“You might be right.” Diyoza shrugs 

  
  
  
  


They’re interrupted by the distant engine of an approaching rover and then Lexa is barreling through the main hall door crouching next to Clarke her face freshly bloody. One of the men supposed to be guarding her limps out behind her. 

The rover roars into view as Lexa moves Clarke’s head into her lap.

  
  
  
  


“Madi...no…” she stammers weakly 

  
  
  
  


“We’re all going to die.” Lexa says quietly as the door to the rover swings open. “We have no leverage. The valley is theirs.” She sighs pressing her cheek to Clarke’s. But the driver of the vehicle isn’t their daughter. The person who swings down is a curly haired man with his hands held high. There’s no mistaking that confident stride. Bellamy Blake...

  
  
  
  


“Unarmed. Just want to talk.” He announces 

  
  
  
  


“Talk.” Diyoza replies curtly Give me one good reason not to kill you where you stand.” 

  
  
  
  
  


“How about I give you 283?” Bellamy gloats. He’s holding up a black coffee mug. Clarke laughs softly “That's how many of your people are gonna die if you and I can't make a deal.” 

  
  
  
  


“That's far enough. 283 lives for one…” Diyoza remarks She must be pretty important to you.   
  


  
  
  


“She is.” Bellamy grinS  
  


 

Lexa lifts Clarke’s face up to kiss her and to deliver a quiet message. “We have our leverage wanheda. Now let’s save our daughter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There’s not gonna be any sort of Bellarke love triangle in this fic. (Although this episode did kind of give me vibes.) Feedback gives me such inspiration feel free to leave some constructive criticism or just general thoughts!


	4. Pandora’s Box

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s been a while sorry!

__

Clarke wakes to the monotone blare of a cell door buzzer. She rolls over wincing in pain trying her best to ignore the insistent throbbing of her neck. A blurry figure that looks so much like her dear friend Bellamy Blake stands in the doorway peering down at Clarke worriedly. Her  _ wife _ is leaning on his shoulder. Clarke blinks twice rubbing the remains of sleep from her eyes. Her vision is much clearer. And he’s still there. 

  
  
  


Bellamy’s stares at Lexa like he needs her permission to get any closer to Clarke’s broken form. She nods solemnly. He approaches Clarke cautiously, slower than he needs to be and then all at once pulling her into a rib crushing hug. She laughs weakly and runs her fingers through his dirty curly hair. Then she breathes in deep and he still smells like fresh earth even after six years spent in space. He’s her best friend, and he’s  _ alive _ .

  
  
  


“You’re here...you’re really here” she tells and then blanches...remembering. “Madi? Is she alright?” Clarke asks him worried.

  
  
  
  


“She’s fine. I kept her safe.” He promises giving her arm a reassuring pat. “She's in the woods with the others. Diyoza won't look for them as long as we're in control.”

  
  
  
  


“They’re still alive Murphy, Monty and Raven?” Clarke smiles.

  
  
  
  


“Echo and Emori.” He confirms smirking tiredly  “Yes. Everyone who made it to the ring. Clarke,  _ you _ saved us all.”   
  


  
  
  


“And now you're home.” She says still in shock. Her family’s luck seems to have turned. 

  
  
  
  


“Wait. Why'd she release me?” Clarke asks freshly suspicious

  
  
  


“We made a…deal” He says pausing to search for the right word. “She agreed to open the bunker.” He finishes gauging her reaction. She can’t get a word out before Lexa hobbles in and lowers herself to the dirty pallet while Clarke presses a kiss to her temple. 

  
  
  
  


“We have something for you.” Lexa says and Bellamy looks to Lexa excitedly. She pulls a small black object from the pocket of her pants. 

  
  
  
  


“Here. You can talk to Murphy and Raven on this. It’s a radio Diyoza brought to the ground with her. Murphy and Raven are on their mothership We have the rest of their crew captive...One command from us can kill the rest of their friends instantly. They have a lot to lose.” He explains at her quizzical look.

  
  
  
  


She takes a deep breath and the tears she’s been holding in since she first laid her unbelieving eyes on Bellamy well up. Lexa leans down to wipe them away whispering small comforts into her ear as she does. Bellamy turns on the the radio. 

  
  
  
  


“There’s someone who wants to talk to you.” He tells her as he hands the radio over to Lexa. She passes it to a starry eyed Clarke who takes a deep breath before she speaks her voice wobbling. 

  
  
  
  


“Raven, Murphy, it's really good to hear your voices.” She speaks trying to keep her voice from breaking. 

  
  
  
  


“Clarke? I don't believe it.” Raven shouts back almost immediately.

  
  
  
  


“Jeez, and they call me the cockroach.” Murphy teases. She takes pleasure in imagining the kind of impressed shock on her friends faces. 

  
  
  


“Hey, you guys just be careful up there, OK? We'll talk more once this is all over. I want to hear everything.” Clarke sniffles again.

  
  
  
  


“Ok, but first, thank you for saving our lives.” Raven answers back. “There’s so much I would have missed if we had died that day. You were willing to sacrifice yourself for us and I just-I can’t thank you enough. No one expected whoever stayed behind to survive Praimfaya but you went to help the launch without hesitation. is Lexa there?” Raven asks and falls silent.

  
  
  
  


“Hello Raven” Lexa replies resting her head on Clarke’s shoulder as she speaks into the radio. “You kept them alive Raven. You’re the girl who   brought them down. Clarke and I may have given you the chance but you’re the one who took it and ran.  _ You _ did the real work” She praises wrapping her arms around Clarke’s waist.

  
  
  
  


“I miss you  _ both _ .” Clarke says twisting around to embrace her wanting wife. 

  
  
  
  


“I’m flattered.” Murphy jokes. 

  
  
  
  


“We got to go. I don’t think Diyoza or any of her men plan on leaving us alone for long.” Bellamy warns Clarke and Lexa. “Raven, stay safe. We'll talk soon.”

  
  
  
  


“Yeah, every hour on the hour.” Raven confirms. The radio crackles and then she’s gone. 

  
  
  
  
  


There’s a knock on the door and someone clears their throats,  _ loudly _ . 

  
  
  
  


“Hope I’m not interrupting anything.” Diyoza snarks her voice dripping with sarcasm. She stalks inside and glares at the three of them. She’s trying to keep up a front but Clarke can tell she’s scared. She cares about the people Bellamy’s threatened, that much is clear. It makes Clarke respect her a little more. Knowing she’s not callous enough to willingly surrender her own people to die. Lexa stares her down. 

  
  
  
  
  


“When exactly are you planning on taking us to the bunker so I can free  _ my _ people?” Lexa wonders calmly 

  
  
  
  
  


“We’ll be in the air in ninety seconds if our pilot gets his skinny ass in gear. Transport can be a little rough. You might want to hold on to something.” she warns smiling bitterly before stalking out again. 

  
  
  
  
  


They keep to themselves for the flight. The reunited trio sit in Clarke’s cell, door open and plan. Clarke learns Bellamy had lost connection with Octavia and those in the bunker in the same way Clarke had lost contact with Bellamy when his crew had left for space. Clarke fills him in about Lexa’s early apocalyptic discovery of the ruins collapse. The reason why the valley hadn't been crawling with the bunkers survivors when Diyoza and her crew had come down. 

  
  
  
  


She fills the rest of the flight with Madi. Stories of forest exploration and of light hearted English lessons and mid morning hunting trips. Bellamy is already transfixed by a little girl he’s barely met. Clarke can’t imagine who wouldn’t be. Madi is Praimfaya’s most precious miracle. Her daughters carefree adolescence is the only good thing to have come from the devastation. 

  
  
  
  


One of Diyoza’s soldiers comes to fetch them when they land. It’s a woman this time. She to be even more of a hardass than Diyoza has proved herself to be.  She eyes them suspiciously as the three gather themselves, Lexa and Bellamy helping to lift Clarke to her feet. The walk through the halls of the transport ship is silent until the woman stops dead in the middle of an empty hallway.

  
  
  
  


“My baby brother is in one of those cryo pods.” She hisses hot breath close to Bellamy’s face while the two women watch motionless from the side. “Anything happens to him I’ll tear your jugular out with my teeth. Wouldn’t be the first time.” 

  
  
  


“My little sisters in that bunker. I need her as safe as you need your brother to be. If we respect each other both of them are going to be just fine. But you and your crew do anything to jeopardize the rescue? You won’t be alive long enough to listen to my team kill everyone on that mothership. Your brother included.” He bites back unfazed. They soldier on.

  
  
  
  


It’s still a shock coming out from the gleaming silver tones of the transport to the muted dusty colors of Polis. No matter how many times Clarke has seen this landscape post praimfaya. Still she hasn’t  been here for well over a year. The trek they’d made on the five year anniversary of Praimfaya had been futile of course. Lexa and Clarke had taken Madi and camped out in the rover until the supplies they’d packed were long gone and they still hadn’t seen a speck of movement. Afterwards the family had stayed away barely speaking of the people lost inside the bunker. 

  
  
  
  


The sonic gun Diyoza’s  people use to clear a hole in the rubble is the most technology Clarke has seen since her time living on the ark. As satisfying as it is to see Mccreary blow the rocks and rubble away from the bunkers long lost main entrance she can’t help but imagine the same deadly force turned around on her family. Clarke wonders what the hell they would be looking at once the door was open. If Second Dawns algae farm could even support a population that large past the five years they’d anticipated? She squeezes Lexa’s hand tight and visualizes the shocked and grateful faces of her wife’s subjects  they’d see soon if all went as planned. 

  
  
  
  


Octavia shattered those expectations. The younger Blake looks damn good. Well fed, muscular, and decked out in full grounder warrior garb. All the way down to the smears of unidentified red coating her forehead. When she has finally wrenched herself away from her sobbing brother and looked straight at Clarke she wasn’t sure she could keep her surprise from spilling over. Octavia’s eyes were...different. Shocked sure but calculating as well. Sizing Clarke up. It wasn’t a pleasant stare. 

  
  
  
  


Clarke gives a cursory glance to the room they’d lowered themselves into. A circular area fenced by rusty wire. Curious tattooed  faces peered from in between the wiring. She averts her eyes focusing on the floor instead of the wanting faces. The concrete is stained deep red. Octavia’s nails dig into her arm and Clarke’s head snaps to attention. Octavia cocks her head.

  
  
  
  


“So when do we get out of here?” 

  
  
  
  


Clarke had arranged for Lexa to stay on the surface. There hadn’t been much sense in wanting to incite a stampede of the bunkers people to reach her. Mccreary and Diyoza join them next in the pit and Octavia stiffens. 

  
  
  


“Who are they?” She interrogates Bellamy and he backs up hands in the air.

  
  
  
  


“We're here to rescue you.” Diyoza tells her 

  
  
  
  


“The level of gratitude really is disgusting.” Mccreary jokes and Diyoza elbows him jostling a gun at his waist. 

  
  


  
  


“Why are you armed?” Octavia shouts loud enough to send a buzz rippling through the crowd gathered behind the wire. 

  
  
  
  


“O. it's OK. We have an understanding.” Bellamy reassures her gesturing towards the eligius pair. 

  
  
  
  
  


“Before we get to that, where's my mom?” Clarke interjects. 

  
  
  
  


“I'll take her to her mother.” Indra offers quietly. Clarke was so focused on studying Octavia she hadn’t even noticed the grounder woman’s entrance. 

  
  
  
  


Indra leads her down a dimly lit, tunnel like hallway. Clarke can hear the muffled pounding of fists on the first doorway. The woman inside the second is screaming her howls one singular insistent pitch. Clarke’s mother is in the third room sitting in the middle of the room rocking back and forth. Indra has to unlock the door from the  _ outside _ . Clarke is too caught off guard by her mother’s appearance to even question the meaning of that. Abby Griffin looks every inch the food deprived waif of a woman Clarke had been expecting Octavia to be but seeing her mom in that condition is sobering to say the least. 

  
  
  
  


Indra leads Clarke inside but pauses just inside the doorway looking from Abby to her daughter. 

  
  
  
  


“Mom?” 

  
  
  
  


“ _ Clarke _ ?” Abby Griffin croaks back 

  
  
  
  


She kneels next to her mother who traces the outline of Clarke’s face with her unkept nails. Hot tears well up fresh clouding Clarke’s vision as her mother buries her face in Clarke’s chest sobbing. 

  
  
  
  


“How? When?” Abby asks clearly disoriented 

  
  
  
  


“We have to move… _ now”  _ Indra interrupts before Clarke can begin to gather a reply.  Abby nods shakily and Clarke extends a hand. 

  
  
  
  


“Everything’s going to be fine mom. I just have to get you out of here first.” She frowns lifting her mother up.  Abby is even lighter than she looks.

Indra watches the exchange her face guarded. She looks away when she sees Clarke has taken notice. 

  
  
  
  


“What happens to Marcus?” Abby asks insistently leaning on Clarke for support. Indra sighs. 

  
  
  
  


“I’ll do my best to get him on the ground. After that? It’s up to you Abby.”

  
  
  
  


Marcus is grounded by the time Abby and Clarke make it to the surface. He’s frail. A little sturdier than Abby maybe but..malnourished all the same. 

The bunkers people are alive. Milling around in the late afternoon sunshine or sitting on makeshift rubble rock chairs talking in hushed whispers. Some have their faces turned to the sun arms spread to take in the suns rays. The heat is sweat inducing. No one from the bunker seems to give a damn. 

  
  
  
  


“Where’s Lexa?” Clarke asks Marcus. 

  
  
  
  


“She followed Bellamy when he went for Octavia. She’s holding court in one of the half standing buildings about a half mile from here.” He says tiredly and Abby reaches for his wrist. He pulls away. 

  
  
  
  


“They have a lot to talk about. Lexa is in for a bit of a nasty shock.” He laughs dryly. 

  
  
  
  


Clarke wheels around catching a glimpse of Diyoza’s muscular frame flanked by Mccreary's lanky one in the window of the transport ship. 

  
  
  
  


Lexa finds them just before nightfall her face grim. They watch the sunset together from the second floor staircase of a hollow out polis building splitting a prepackaged ration an eligius member had been handing out in the afternoon. Lexa and Clarke were curled around each other Marcus and Abby sitting shoulder to shoulder in the opposing  corner. 

  
  
  
  


Lexa had parroted a pretty disheartening story from Octavia the second they’d found a quiet place to talk. Her face was partially obscured by an extra shirt Marcus had taken off. It turned out that the majority of the bunkers remaining 814 inhabitants believed Lexa was dead. Octavia and her bodyguards were the only bunker people that knew of her so far. It was best to avoid a public announcement just yet. Widespread panic couldn’t bode well especially when matters were in such a fragile balance with Diyoza’s men. 

  
  
  
  


From what Lexa had been able to gather the bunkers people now followed Octavia unquestionably She’d began calling herself bloodreina, the red queen and had modeled the bunkers system into some perversion of ancient Rome. The 13 clans were gone. Octavia called them Wonkru. The path back to power would be a steep one. Something Clarke wasn’t even sure she wanted to attempt. But Lexa had been born to lead. Led to believe that these people were here. She had to protect them herself, and she would not be swayed. 

  
  
  
  


The mood had dropped considerably since the original rescue. Clarke almost caught herself nodding of on Lexa’s shoulder a handful of times. Until there was an explosion so loud it rocked the houses remaining foundation and there was no way anyone could sleep. 

  
  
  
  


Lexa dragged her along at a breakneck pace Abby and Marcus panting behind them struggling to keep up. Whatever had been going on inside the horror show of the bunker it was clear that daily exercise had not been incorporated. They found the source next to the charred remains of a stone fountain, right in the middle of a smug colonel Diyoza’s lecture on the affects of her superior weaponry on human flesh.

  
  
  
  


“Hey! Hey, what the hell are you doing? - One call from me-”  Bellamy shouts over the crowd. He sounds absolutely deranged.

  
  
  
  


“Make your call.” Diyoza smiles

  
  
  
  


“Raven, come in. You read me?” Bellamy yells into the radio. There is nothing in response. He stands there completely frozen until Diyoza’s laugh breaks the silence. 

  
  
  
  


““The deal's off Bellamy but nobody has to get hurt. Hold your fire.” 

  
  
  
  
  


“Where's your mother? She's our doctor.” Diyoza asks pointing an arm at Clarke. 

  
  
  
  
  


“You can't have her.” Lexa growls. Mccreary appears from the cluster of men behind Diyoza and cocks his gun aiming at Lexa’s head. 

  
  
  
  
  


“No! Hold. I'm right here. Don't shoot. We'll come without a fight.” Abby pleads pushing her way through the throng of people Marcus attached. 

  
  
  
  


“I bet you will, traitor.” Octavia yells 

  
  
  
  


“We"? Diyoza repeats 

  
  
  
  


“The two of us. Those are my terms.” Abby replies 

  
  
  
  


“I see where your daughter gets it from.” Diyoza chuckles. “Take them both.” 

  
  
  
  


“Mom, what are you  _ doing _ ?” Clarke begs gripping her mother’s arm as she blows past her towards Diyoza. 

  
  
  
  


“I love you, Clarke.” She frowns and looks at Lexa. “Take care of my daughter.” She says and continues onward.

  
  
  
  


“Ok then!” Diyoza continues nodding her head to acknowledge the new arrivals that have shuffled their way into place behind her. “Here are my terms. The valley is ours. Any attempt to get there will be met by overwhelming force until we can have a talk with your  _ leader  _ about how to peacefully divide that shit up. As  long as you stay here, we won't have a problem.” She rolls her eyes and smirks at Bellamy. 

  
  
  


“LOAD UP AND MOVE OUT.” She yells at her men. The crowd devolves into chaos

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I left out the end explosion and war declarations because I plan to write a (at least temporary) peace between Diyoza and Clarke’s people so I can focus on the rivalry between Lexa and Octavia. Feedback is always appreciated!


	5. Shifting Sands

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve been so focused on classes that I haven’t been able to put out a chapter in almost a month contrary to my wishes. On the bright side it’s given me a lot of time to think and I’ve got a much clearer direction for this story in mind. I’ll try my best to have the next bit up in two weeks. Thanks for sticking around.

  
  


“Could've used you in the bunker, Clarke.” Jackson smiles sadly. Clarke shines a light into the mouth of a young grounder girl with a runny nose whose been complaining of a sore throat and moves down the line of patients.

  
  
  


“You had my  _ mother _ . Abby has always been so much better trained than me.” Clark tells him    
  


  
  


“Must have known you could handle things here.  _ Leaving _ the way she did.” Jackson laughs dryly 

  
  
  


“What was she so afraid of?” Clarke presses  “The Abby I know wouldn’t just leave us here to starve. She shouldn’t have jumped on a chance like that unless something was really wrong. And you would know what that is right?” 

  
  
  


Jackson shakes his head and begins examining an elderly trikru man who thinks he broke his arm during the mad panic that happened after Clarke’s mother and Kane had deserted the night before. 

  
  
  


“Hey!” She yells shoving his shoulder a bit rougher than necessary. The old man takes in a sharp breath. “You know me Jackson. You can’t just ignore it and hope I’ll go away. I’m not going  _ anywhere _ . So please help me to understand what happened down there.” 

  
  
  


“Jackson.” Miller says softly pulling the older man into a quick embrace. Clarke had been so preoccupied she hadn’t noticed his approach. Miller gives Jackson a small peck and backs away hurriedly. 

  
  
  


“Hey?” Clarke tries getting Millers attention, wondering when exactly that couple had happened.

  
  
  


“Be safe, OK?” Jackson tells him stroking his boyfriends stubble. “And you need a shave.” He jokes feebly as Miller moves away. 

  
  
  
  


“Miller. Miller!   _ Miller _ , wait.” Clarke yells as she chases after the soldier. He speeds up to a brisk jog trying to shake her off as she trails him through an open area where Bellamy and Lexa are heaving a piece of rubble off the side of a collapsed Polis building. Bellamy had suggested some strategic repositioning to make a little bit of shade. The bunkers people had been underground for six years, long enough for more than a little sun sensitivity to flare up.  A few of the younger children had already been spotted with peeling faces and shoulders that morning and prospective soldiers getting sun strokes wouldn't help anyone. 

  
  
  


Earlier, Clarke had helped dress Lexa in a dusty overcoat and ripped Marcus’ extra shirt into strips of fabric to make a more permanent cover for her  all too recognizable face. The only bunker people who knew Lexa was alive were Octavia guards and high council, and Niylah, who had become the Red Queen's shadow in their time underground. Clarke knew that if Lexa stayed silent the majority of the bunkers people wouldn’t look at her twice but one look at her honey colored eyes and Clarke knew exactly who she was looking at. 

  
  
  


“Hey slow down!” Bellamy shouts after Miller dropping his work to join Clarke’s pursuit. Lexa follows close behind. 

  
  
  


“Where are you going?” Bellamy asks giving Millers outfit a once over. Miller throws up his hold and flashes a quick look at the grounder man next to him. The ginger colored man furrows his brows and shook his head. Miller sighed 

  
  
  


“Really wish I could tell you, Bellamy.” 

  
  
  


“Octavia told you not to?” Bellamy withers. Clarke knows the siblings weren’t on the best terms before the start of Praimfaya but he’s still hurt by her rejection. 

  
  
  


“They're going to the valley.” Clarke realizes and  Miller blanches. The ginger man with him stalks away seeming pissed off. She flashes Lexa a pleased grin knowing she’s guessed right. 

  
  


  
“Clarke! You can't just do whatever the hell you want here.” Miller starts once he’s far enough away.   

  
  
  
  


“I'm guessing you're moving ahead of the army, to scout forward terrain.” She barrels onward throwing up a hand to push Miller back “Which route are you taking? It's sandstorm season.   
The wind moves in a predictable path. Lexa and I haha made that  trip dozens of times.   
Trust me. You  _ need _ our help.” 

  
  
  
  


After a bit more badgering Miller folds and takes them to the hastily done command post on the east end of the ruins. He seems  _ off _ ever so slightly, but somehow still irrevocably different from the lighthearted man she left behind before Praimfaya. From the way he holds himself to the way he holds the man he loves like he’s always expecting the next move to be his last. Clarke wonders if Bellamy sees the same thing when he watches her and Lexa. Lexa laces their fingers together, almost as if she can sense Clarkes discomfort. The other woman’s hands are dusty. Clarke can feel dried blood against her palm, an after affect of the hard labour her wife’s been at with Bellamy all morning. 

  
  
  


They can hear the heated voices of everyone inside the command center from more than a couple paces away. Clarke’s willing to bet it has something to do with the fact that an entire wall has been stripped away. The building is walled in with a tarp that must have been brought up with the rest of the small amount of supplies left in the bunker. Clarke thinks about ripping it down and barging right in shattering the cheap facade of protection for those within but the group ends up using the door. She can tell by the irritation on Octavia’s face that it’s unlikely the visit will be seen as any less intrusive.   
  
  


“Miller, your orders were to  _ go”  _ Octavia sighs looking up from a rough sketch of the areas landscape post praimfaya. Lexa must have drawn it for her during her visit yesterday. Her liteauntants eyes remain firmly plastered to the diagram and the quiet arguments Clarke and the others had overheard from outside continue.  

  
  
  


“I know my orders and I still think we should listen to what Clarke and Lexa have to say. These are the people who have been living here” Miller admits sheepishly. Octavia raises her eyebrows. 

  
  
  


“You can't take the sea route.” Lexa tells her point blank throwing back her hood and arranging her braided hair.

  
  
  


“Why?  _ You’re _ the one who told me the sea is gone.” Indra questions

  
  
  


“Don’t try to flip the script now. Is it passable or is it not?” Octavia snorts

  
  
  


“Yes,  _ maybe _ . But you have to understand-” Clarke jumps in to defend her wife.

  
  
  


“Maybe's good enough for me. Let's move out.” Octavia gestures to her crew. Bellamy blocks her exit and five guns are pointed at his head before any of them can blink. 

  
  
  


“O?” Bellamy sounds on edge.

  
  
  


“Stand down.” Octavia tells her men flicking a hand out lazily. They put the firearms down immediately but all eyes in the room are still focused on Bellamy.

  
  
  


“Please, O, just hear us out.” 

  
  
  


“Octavia, we're all on the same team. _ No one _ wants to get to that valley  more than us. It's our home. We raised our daughter in those hills, made a life among those trees. But this way is too risky.” Clarke pleads.

  
  
  


“Risky how? Show me.” Octavia retorts shortly, pointing at the map.

  
  
  


“You chose the shortest route, which makes sense.” Lexa begins as they walk over. “but the dry seabed is hit by almost  _ constant _ sandstorms.” 

  
  
  


“We have the tents from the second dawn. Sand won't be a problem.” Octavia counters

  
  
  


“It's not just sand. Ordinary sand is the least of our worries. Some of it crystallized in Praimfaya. I'm talking shards of glass, razor blades Octavia but covering your entire body. Lexa and I have lived through it and only because the rover was so close.” Clarke explains looking for any shift of resolve in the Red Queen’s eyes. She stares back unblinking.

  
  
  


“What Clarke is trying to say is that your tents will be torn to shreds, and so will you.” Lexa summarizes tiredly.

  
  
  


“Blodreina is right. Besides, we can only carry rations for 7 days. The sea route will take 6.

the next shortest path adds 50 miles. That's two days if we're lucky.” Clarke recognizes the speaker, a bitter woman named Kara Cooper who’d worked as an engineer on the Ark. 

  
  
  
  


“How do we know there won't be sandstorms on the longer routes?” Indra frowns. It’s a valid question that Clarke never gets the chance to answer.

  
  
  
  


“Enough. We're doing this. The hydrofarm is barely feeding us now, so if this is the last

living valley on earth then it should be ours.” Octavia thunders.

  
  


“Diyoza thinks the same thing!” Bellamy retorts

  
  


 “And so we fight.” Octavia says simply keeping her voice emotionless. 

  
  
  


“We can still reach a peace!” He calls at her retreating back. “This doesn’t have to end in violence O! There aren’t enough humans left on this planet to risk the survival of our species by playing war games.” His sister doesn’t respond. Two of her guards jostle him on their way outside. Bellamy glares and they watch the council file out, Miller shaking his head apologetically. 

  
  


“Your sister needs you, Bellamy. I'm glad you're here for her.” Indra tells him cryptically.

  
  
  
  


She grabs Lexa by her shoulders and looks into her eyes. “You are sitting in a place of unclear  authority. There is no doubt that if the people in this camp knew your true identity many of them would fall to their knees immediately. There is an equal amount who might kill you where you stand for the threat a true nightblood poses to Octavia. You would do well to be careful.” Lexa nods replacing her face bindings and Indra smiles sadly. “I am glad you are alive Lexa. There are packs with rations here by the door.” She finishes curtly and walks to the door her battle armor jingling.

  
  
  


“First battalion! Mount up!” Indra commands the small crowd of soldiers and horses gathered outside.

  
  
  


“Am I crazy or were they gonna kill me for getting in her way?” Bellamy remarks shaking his head in disbelief.

  
  
  
  


 “What the hell do we do?” Clarke shivers 

  
  
  
  


 “Raven and Murphy are in trouble. I have to go with them. Doesn’t matter if I don’t agree or not. I mean hell! A  6-day hike through sandstorm country with a gladiator cult. What could go wrong?” He frowns his face crumpling inward.

  
  


“After you.” Lexa laughs

  
  
  
  


The journey through the remains of the sea is dismal as it always has been. Clarke thinks that perhaps it is a little less so with Bellamy and the persistent hum of almost a thousand voices by her side. By the time they camp for the night Clarke has sand in almost every conceivable part of her body. Needless to say, she misses the rover. The rations are preserved bread so thin on the yeast it could be unleavened. Clarke takes her meal with Bellamy and Lexa secluded from the main circle of Octavia and her Wonkru.

  
  
  
  


Wonkru chants in Triagadasleng before anyone takes a single bite. The trio remains tight lipped listening to the happenings instead of engaging in what seems to be a well weathered ritual. 

  
  
  


“We honor those who  died so we might live. Omon gon oson.” Octavia says somberly

  
  
  


"All of me for all of us." Lexa translates quietly    

  
  
  


“It's kind of beautiful.” Clarke smiles

  
  


“How so?” Bellamy asks, ever the skeptic

“They lost 400 people. It's a third of everyone in that bunker.  And they had no idea if they'd ever get out. Yet look at them strong,  _ unified _ . I can see why my mom was terrified,  but you gotta admit It's impressive.” she explains

  
  
  
  


 “So is surviving alone. How'd you do it?” Bellamy smiles looking at the two women

  
  
  
  


 “Well, we weren’t alone.” Clarke corrects

  
  
  


“We had Madi.” Lexa finishes and there’s a tight pain in Clarke’s chest

  
  
  


“I'm tired. You can have the rest of my rations.” Clarke tells Bellamy curtly, getting to her feet and pulling at Lexa’s wrist

  
  


“Omon gon oson.” He says mockingly 

  
  
  


Clarke leads Lexa back to the tent they’d been assigned to share with Bellamy. She really had been tired but Lexa seems to have her own ideas about why Clarke wanted to break off from Bellamy. Lexa zips the tent and turns to face Clarke smirking suggestively.

  
  
  


“I’m glad you got us out of there. You know I love Bellamy but this is the first chance but this is the first chance we’ve had to be alone. I want to make use of it.” She whispers pulling Clarke in for a needy kiss that promises more to come.

  
  
  


“I have sand on almost every inch of my body.” Clarke warns her.  

  
  
  


Lexa only laughs and continues kissing Clarke’s neck. “You will always be beautiful Clarke. The marks of what we’ve been through only add to you. I told you that once, that day we found the pool, do you remember? I mean it still and I always will love.” 

  
  
  


“I’m worried about Madi” Clarke admits her body still stiff under Lexa’s touch. Lexa notices and pulls away her face contemplative. Then draws Clarke in for a side hug stroking her hair. 

  
  
  


“Do you think I’m not? I miss her Clarke. But our daughter is the strongest person we know. This will only make her stronger. And we have to trust in that as much as we can. Until we see her again and then we’re  _ never _ letting her go.”

  
  
  


Clarke nods and leans back in to her wife kissing warm lips that are almost as chapped as they were during their desert trek in Praimfaya. Clarke lets the memories come flooding back in, the desperation the pain and the relief of finding the valley. She’s chasing that same rush tonight. 

  
  
  


“Help! - We need help!” Clarke hears Millers cry from the outside of camp. He’d gone out scouting before dinner the big red headed man from Polis had accompanied him. She’s off from on top of Lexa in a millisecond and her wife is gathering clothes fastening her makeshift wrappings but it’s not fast enough. 

  
  
  
  


“I have to go help him Lexa. Find me later!” Clarke shouts bursting out from the tent careening wildly into the chaos.

  
  
  
  


“Miller, what is it?” Clarke yells as he races into view dragging the larger man behind him. 

  
  
  


“Medic! We need help! It's Obika!” He yells 

  
  
  
  


“I'll get the med kit.” Clarke reassures him 

  
  
  


“Please help us! - He needs help!” Miller thunders at the people clustering around the pair. 

  
  
  


“Are we under attack?” Octavia snaps 

  
  
  


I don't know what's wrong! I have no idea what happened. We didn’t see anyone else!  Please! Hurry! Someone help him!” Miller continues and the man slides off his back and hits the dirt flailing wildly. Some sort of seizure? The crowd takes a collective step back and Clarke pushes through the sea of retreating faces.

  
  


“Out of my way. I can help!”  She announces until Kara Cooper throws herself in front of Clarke. Cooper blocks the way scowling. 

  
  
  
  


“Not you.” She tells Clarke and the venom in her voice is so unwarranted Clarke freezes. 

  
  
  


“Octavia?” She stutters. The red queen is standing above the convulsing man, Niylah hanging off of her arm face pressed into the other woman’s shoulder. 

  
  
  


“Let her in!” Octavia barks and Clarke shoves Kara out of the way and kneels next to her patient. 

  
  
  


“He's alive, but his heart's racing!” She frowns 

  
  
  


“What the hell happened out there?” Octavia demands. 

  
  
  


“We separated to cover more ground. Then I hear him screaming out that they're everywhere.   
Then I get to him and there's nothing!” Miller tells her hyperventilating. Niylah detaches from Octavia and goes to the other man leading him away. Clarke can see Jackson stumbling out of the pairs tent eyes heavy with sleep. He picked the wrong time for a nap. 

  
  
  


Obika stops moving. Clarke’s sure he’s dead until she hears his rasping breathing. She kneels down again to check his pulse and recoils bile filling her throat. There’s something bubbling beneath his skin. She remembers the old movie her dad loved on the ark. It was produced long before the first apocalypse was even a distant possibility and special effects were a new playing field.  _ Alien _ . Where a baby extraterrestrial ad burst straight through a mans chest after laying dormant there. Clarke remembers clutching her dad's hand on their living room couch and hiding her face in the plush cushions. No matter how many times she watched the movie, even when she knew it was coming it still made her scream like no slasher movie ever could.    
  


  
  


“There’s something inside him!” Octavia realizes grabbing for her knife. 

  
  
  
  


“Hurry! Get him in the tent!” Clarke shouts 

  
  
  
  


“Nobody else comes inside!” Indra tells the crowd 

  
  
  


“Move! Right here. Put him on the table. Help me get his jacket off!”

  
  
  


Clarke, what is this?” Octavia growls 

  
  
  
  


“I don't know.” She admits clutching her head in her hands. On the folding table behind the two women Obika starts to seize. 

  
  
  


“Miller, tell us exactly what happened.” Cooper asks as Jackson pulls him into the med tent. He’s still shaking.

  
  
  
  


“Nothing happened.We stopped to eat. Then we separated again. Next thing I knew, he was screaming!” 

  
  
  
  


“Your rations. Show me.” Clarke says holding 

  
  
  


“Nothing's wrong with our rations.” Cooper answer instantly defensive.    
  


  
  
  


“He was eating when it happened!” Clarke reasons 

  
  
  
  


“Cooper's right.” Octavia affirms and Cooper smiles smugly at Clarke. “If it was the rations, Miller would have it, too!” They share everything.   
  


  
  
  


“Well, it got in him somehow.” Indra reminds them 

  
  
  
  


“Wait. Look.” Bellamy says pulling Octavia over to Obikas thrashing body. She hadn’t noticed him in all the commotion but she supposes he must have been there from the beginning. There’s some fresh blood coming from his ankle. When Bellamy pulls up his pant leg Clarke can see the puncture wound and that’s when she realizes.

  
  
  


“It came from the sand. Octavia we have to go back right now.” 

  
  
  
  


“What? No.” She snarls “We didn’t waste a days rations to turn around now.”   
  


  
  
  


“Octavia, he told Miller that they were everywhere.” 

  
  
  


“Yes, but Miller just said he saw nothing.” Indra argues. 

  
  
  


“Everywhere could mean everywhere inside him.”    
Octavia theorizes.

  
  
  


“I agree with Blodreina.” 

  
  
  


“What a surprise.” Indra smirks side eyeing Cooper and her unapologetic flattery. The tension between the two is almost physical and she thinks, not for the first time, about all the shit they must have gone through in the bunker. 

  
  
  
  


“We march on at first light.” Octavia repeats defiantly “And Obika? If he's not better by then I'll end his pain myself. 

  
  
  


“Octavia's not the only one who's changed, you know.” Clarke tells Bellamy softly after the others have returned to their food and their fires. 

  
  
  
  


“You could've killed those prisoners in cryo, but you didn't. Diyoza would've killed Lexa and I if not for you. Madi would be alone. You got that bunker open. You saved hundreds of people with no way out and no hope in sight.” 

  
  
  


“Who knew it would turn out to be Pandora's box?” He sighs 

  
  
  


“I'm serious, Bellamy. Everything that’s gone right has gone right because of you. The heart and the head.” 

  
  
  
  


“The heart and the head.” He repeats smiling at her weakly. “So what does your head say about two armies fighting a war in the only green place on earth?” 

  
  
  


“Same as yours.” She answers 

  
  
  


“Something’s coming!” Someone yells in English. Clarke looks at Obika, passed out  on the table and then locks eyes with Bellamy.

  
  
  
  


“We have to go see what’s wrong” he reassures her gently. She nods and throws her arm around him for a quick hug. He pats her back awkwardly. 

  
  
  
  


The higher ups of Wonkru are standing in front of the embers of a dying fire rations forgotten. 

  
  
  
  


“What the hell?” Octavia whispers looking at the clouds of lightning and dust. 

  
  
  
  


“Sandstorm.” Clarke explains feeling sickly vindicated. “It's blocking the way back.” 

  
  
  
  


“Can we outrun it?” Indra drills her.

  
  
  
  


“As long as it keeps moving laterally from east to west, we shouldn't  _ have to, _ but if the wind shifts…..” she tells the former tribe leader trailing off. 

  
  
  
  


“The wind hasn't met Wonkru.” Octavia boasts determination hardest in her eyes. “Now there's no choice. We keep moving.” 

  
  
  
  


“ _ Keep moving _ ? Thanks to you, we're stuck between razor-blade winds and burrowing, parasitic bugs.” Bellamy mumbles. 

  
  
  
  
  


“And Thanks to you, we're at war, Bellamy!” She hisses back. 

  
  
  
  


“Only if you insist on fighting it.” He reminds her. 

  
  
  
  


“Fight or die. That's all there is. You don't understand and I get it. Because you're not one of us  _ brother _ . 

  
  
  
  


“Is Obika one of you? Hmm? Because you're about to end his life like he means nothing.   
I understand that.” Kara shoves him backwards into the crowd eager to have an excuse to pummel someone. 

  
  
  


“Cooper, no.” Indra protests weakly  

  
  
  
  


“Show some respect.” A filthy man on the outskirts of camp growls.

  
  
  
  


“I'd stop if I were you.” Octavia smirks. If only Lincoln could see her now Clarke thinks, horrified. Before things can escalate there’s a blood curdling scream from the med tent.

  
  
  


“He's awake!” Octavia yells and Clarke follows her back inside the makeshift hospital. 

  
  
  
  


“Hold him down!” She orders and his skin is bubbling like a pot of water as the  _ things _ underneath look for a way out. Then his chest splits and the nightmares of Clarke’s childhood make their way into her adult reality.

  
  
  
  


“Everybody out! Now! Go!”  She shrieks. Octavia trips during the upheaval falling into the remains of her campfire. 

  
  
  
  


“Everyone OK? Octavia?” Indra confirms looking at the panting woman on the ground. Octavia’s silent slowly pulling back her shirtsleeve. One of the worms punctured her arm. 

  
  
  
  


“Indra! Burn it down! Kill them all!” Clarke screams and the older woman flies into action grabbing a piece of smoldering wood and holding above some straggling flames. 

  
  
  
  


They half carry half drag Octavia into her tent startling a sleeping Niylah on the ground. “What’s going on?” She slurs.

  
  
  
  


“I can't feel my legs!” Octavia moans.

  
  
  
  


“It must be its venom.” Clarke curses.

  
  
  
  


“Oh my god Octavia! What the fuck happened!” The grounder woman asks. 

  
  
  
  


“Put her arm on the table. We can't let it get into her torso. I need you to make a tourniquet out of whatever you can find!” Clarke tells Indra. 

  
  
  
  


“And try to find me a med kit that wasn’t in the tent.” She directs a still scowling Cooper. 

  
  
  


“There were dozens of those worms. They must lay their eggs-” Cooper begins as Niylah stumbles to Octavia side.

  
  
  


“Thank you! Go!” Clarke tells her. 

  
  
  
  


“I’m right here” Bellamy and Niylah comfort Octavia in almost perfect unison. 

  
  
  


“Will that stop it?” Bellamy asks as Clarke ties a leather belt around Octavia’s forearm. 

  
  
  
  


“It's not for the worm. It's for the blood.” She manages to stammer. “I need a knife now!” 

  
  
  
  


“What are you waiting for?” Octavia grits her teeth still finding the strength to be impatient. 

  
  
  
  


“Whatever you're going to do,  _ do it.”  _ Indra yells 

  
  
  
  


“This is gonna hurt.” She warns Octavia and plunges the knife Indra has shoved into her hand into her forearm.

  
  
  


“Clarke? Clarke, you're gonna lose it.” Bellamy rambles worriedly. 

  
  
  


“Like hell I am. I got it! Stay still.” 

  
  
  


“Clarke, just pull it out.” Octavia grumbles in between her groans. 

  
  
  
  


“Please, if you can hear me, this is an emergency.” Monty says from Bellamy’s pocket. “Come in.” 

  
  
  
  


“Monty, it's me. Something tells me we got your emergency beat.” 

  
  
  


“I doubt that.” Monty mumbles “The prisoners have an eye in the sky on the mothership, and a missile system on their transport ship.” 

  
  
  


“Missiles?” Niylah asks worriedly reaching for Octavia’s uninjured hand. 

  
  
  
  


“They're on their way to you right now. You have to move. Hide somewhere. Take cover.” 

  
  
  
  


“Hide from an eye in the sky? How are we supposed to do that?”

  
  
  


“Murphy says we have a friend inside.” Monty tells him still sounding uncertain. 

  
  
  
  


“If he's right, the eye won't be watching. You have a window, but you have to move now.” 

  
  
  
  


“Here!” Clarke smiles holding the screaming parasite and flinging it into a canteen. 

  
  
  
  


“Where do we find cover from missiles in the middle of a wasteland?” Indra points out.

  
  
  
  


“ If they see us retreat, they'll stand down.   
Diyoza isn’t intentionally vindictive. She wants safety for her people that’s all.”

  
  
  


“You still don't understand.” Octavia slurs. “Wonkru does not retreat.” 

  
  
  
  


“You do if you want to live.” Bellamy snaps 

  
  
  
  


“Even if we did retreat, the path home puts us in the middle of a sandstorm.” Indra groans. 

  
  
  


“Those ruins are not our home. That valley is, and we're taking it back!” She screams trying to launch herself at Bellamy. 

  
  
  


“Octavia, easy. The venom's still in your system.” Clarke warns. Niylah whispers something to Octavia in Trigedasleng so fast Clarke can’t translate.    
  


  
  
  


“Get ready to understand” Bloodreina spits. 

  
  
  


They head for the sandstorm and when they are facing the brunt of it Wonkru huddles around Octavia. A shield made out of hundreds of human bodies with their queen at the center. Clarke finds Lexa and buries her head in her wife’s chest. They are not near the edge of the storm but the sharp pain of glass shards and sand is still present. Clarke can only imagine the lacerations on the bodies of those who’ve formed the edge. The devotion it takes to to willingly give up your life for someone who might not even know your name. Bellamy was right. Octavia’s leadership is the definition of a cult. 

  
  
  
  


They stay that way for hours. The next morning they find Octavia sprawled on the newly created sand dunes and sit next to her unspeaking. Jackson sits next to her caring for Indra. The coughing of those close enough to get dust in their lungs is loud enough to fill the silence. Miller comes for them later his face somber.

  
  
  


“What's wrong with her? Is it a worm?” He asks about Indra who shakes her head weakly. 

  
  
  


“I'm guessing there's glass in her lungs. We gotta get her back to Polis.” Lexa tells her 

  
  
  
  


“Blodreina, there's 11 dead.” Miller tells Octavia. He pauses for a second before continuing “12 including Obika.” 

  
  
  


“Take their weapons and their armor. Leave the bodies.” She instructs him.   
  


  
  


“Leave them?” Cooper parrots uncertain.

  
  
  


“There's no time. The enemy can see us. Sound the retreat.” Octavia coughs

  
  
  


“Prepare to move out! You heard her.” Cooper begins 

  
  
  


“How's that arm?” Octavia asks kneeling next to Octavia. “Damage to the muscle should be minimal, but we'll know more in a few days.” 

  
  
  


“Thank you for saving my life.” She smiles 

  
  
  


“You saved ours.” Clarke shrugs 

  
  
  


“You were right. Wonkru is strong. Just like their leader.” Bellamy concedes. 

  
  
  
  


“I'm glad you're alive, big brother.” Octavia responds pulling him in close.  But if you ever speak out against Wonkru again, then you are an enemy of Wonkru. And you are my enemy.” She whispers even quieter 

  
  
  
  


“Hey, hey, whoa. Stop. Stop!” A Wonkru soldiers yells training his gun at the hazy outline of an approaching vehicle. 

  
  
  


It moves closer and suddenly Clarke can’t breathe because it’s the rover and her  _ daughter _ is  leaping out of the front seat and running across the dunes toward her. 

  
  
  


“MADI!” Lexa bellows and Clarke can already feel the hot prickle of tears in the corner of her eyes.” She lifts her daughter up and Madi is sniffling just as hard. 

  
  
  


“We missed you so much lovely.” Lexa grins kissing her forehead.” Monty crawls outside and leans on the rover shielding his face from the sunlight. Echo swings out the back and runs to Bellamy. He cups her face and kisses her in a way that lets Clarke know it’s serious. She leans into him and presses their bodies closer together. She's happy Bellamy’s found something  even if that someone is a former enemy. Hell Clarke knows all too well what falling in love with someone you’re supposed to hate feels like. Octavia doesn’t seem to carry the same understanding. The glare she gives echo is chilling and any warmth left over from her half caring half threatening makeup with Bellamy has dissipated.

  
  
  


“We’re still moving out!” Cooper’s voice carries over the happy reunions. “The heavily injured and Octavia should ride ahead to Polis for treatment!” She suggests. 

  
  
  


“You can’t have the rover” Clarke blurts out before she can change her mind. 

  
  
  


“Why the hell not? What Cooper is saying makes sense.” Octavia grimaces 

  
  
  


“Because Lexa and I aren’t going back to the ruins. We’re taking the rover and going to Diyoza. We’re going home to end this without a fight. And we’re taking our daughter with us”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can’t convince me that Clarke isn’t a total Ripley style mama bear. Feedback and constructive criticism is much appreciated! :)) (this chapter veers very near to transcript territory and I’m aware of that. It’s mostly because the only change is Lexa still being alive so some of the characters interactions would be the same or slightly modified)

**Author's Note:**

> I know it ended very abruptly. This is partially because i’m debating on doing a full AU that covers season five and how I imagine things would have gone with the Eligius crew if Lexa was still around. Comments and Kudos are always appreciated as is constructive criticism.


End file.
